Social media is everywhere and hoping your kids never get into it is just wishful thinking. Unfortunately, checking personal accounts and scrolling through newsfeeds can become addictive and getting your younster to reduce their habit can be a bit if a struggle. However, it's important they do, and here’s why:
Underage
Children under the age of 13 are not allowed have a Facebook account. If you underage child has an account they probably lied about their age when siging up. Make sure your child knows that they are underage.
Loss of sleep
Your youngster can spend hours scanning social media sites and scrolling through friend’s pictures, which often results in a loss of sleep. This can be detrimental to their concentration levels in school. Kids need a certain amount of sleep to be able to function properly the next day and social media can get in the way.
Isolation
While your child may feel like they have lots of friend, being cooped up in their room with just their computer for company can make for a very isolating existence. Get your kids to switch off and get outside.
Expectations
Social media is a way for people to highlight the good parts of their life, omitting the not-so-good parts. Many kids don’t understand this and can often feel pressured into looking or acting a certain way depending on what they see online. Feeling you are the only one with problems can leave your little one feeling isolated and down.
Reputation
What goes up on social is forever, even if your child erases it. Make sure your little one understands this and inform that more than their friends can see what they post, no matter how villigant they may feel their security settings are. Inappropriate posts or images can have lasting effects and your child needs to be aware of them.
Online dangers
This one is obvious, and while most parents understand the dangers that are online, a lot of children don’t. Talk to you kids about the dangers and how what to do if they get in trouble.
Bullying
Do you know what your kids are up to online? Bullying has always been a huge problem in schools however, with the prominence of social media, it can now take place even when your child is at home.
