Want to Safeguard Your Teen’s Social Media? Here’s 5 Tips
Movieguide® Contributor
With 95% of teens aged 13 – 17 on social media, many parents are concerned for their kid’s well-being, and they should be, according to clinical psychologist Emily Kline.
She shared five ways that parents can help their teens safeguard their social media. The first tip is to “never keep social media profiles public.”
“Many kids growing up with social media have thousands of followers by the time they graduate from high school,” said Kline, author of “The School of Hard Talks: How to Have Real Conversations with Your (Almost Grown) Kids.”
“If your teen shows resistance to making their accounts private, you can ask, ‘What am I not understanding about how you want to use this platform that you would prefer it to be public?'” said Kline. “Kids tend to think about privacy in relation to their parents or teachers but internet fame might be attractive for some.”
Safe Search Kids adds that it’s important to be cautious of friend and follow requests. Parents should instruct teens to only accept requests from people they know in real-life who have authentic profiles. If something looks fishy, teens can run it by their parents.
Kline recommends that kids don’t share full names or birthdays. They should try to think about an alias, which can be a good “creative task.”
The next tip is to “never post harmful or embarrassing content.”
“Posting screenshots of private conversations or embarrassing photos or videos of another person can escalate into cyberbullying,” Today said.
“Get ahead of this by asking your teen why they think that happens or how they would feel on the receiving end,” said Kline. “Ask if your child has ever seen anything like that or if they would be tempted to do it to someone else.”
She encourages parents to build up their teens’ empathy, which will prevent them from engaging in such behavior.
Per the APA, several studies have found that online bullying can be more harmful to psychological health than in-person bullying.
Movieguide® reported how parents can help teens avoid cyberbullying:
Dr. Carmel Taddeo and Professor Barbara Spears from the University of Southern Australia have outlined five strategies that their research has shown to help children cope with negative online interactions.
- Develop your child’s self-esteem and confidence.
- Role model positive communication – listening, negotiating, being assertive and respectful.
- Provide opportunities for your child to connect with others face-to-face and online.
- Ask how your child feels about their connections and friendships.
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Remember that connecting online is not an indicator of social connectedness
Kline’s third tip is to “never treat social media as a ‘kids-only’ space.”
Online predators often pose as teens, not to mention harmful content can be created and shared by any age.
“Parents might want to occasionally sit with their teens while they scroll, in order to observe what’s coming up in their feed,” says Kline. “If you see a lot of content about dieting or videos that seem mean spirited, for instance, then there’s a clear indication that maybe those accounts should be blocked.”
The fourth tip is to remind teens that they should “never think that everything should be recorded.”
“Make sure that teens are able to put their phones away during the school day, for a hike in the woods, or at a concert, for example,” Kline says. “Remind teens that (documenting) every moment can take away from the present.”
She says keeping things private from social media is “proof” that social media isn’t a full depiction of someone’s life.
The fifth tip is to “never avoid talking about social media with family.”
“Your child might not be following the rules you set when they first got a smartphone,” says Kline. “Teenagers can only absorb so much information.”
You could ask about the newest app, the latest drama or how social plays a role in their lives,” says Kline. “Kids might find your questions entertaining — or hilarious — and enjoy teaching you about it.”
Kline adds that parents need to approach the topic often. Rules can’t be enforced unless parents are aware of what their teens are doing.
“If you hope to influence what comes next, it’s through conversations with teens,” she says. “That way, they understand your reasoning and come to you with problems.”
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