Between the ages of 10 and 14, you do not have a sufficient understanding of the Internet to know what should and should not be done on a social media platform. You just share images and videos from your personal life to be liked by your friends.
But with the possibility to hack someone’s cell phone with just their phone number, as seen at EarthWeb, it’s easier than ever for material to get into the wrong hands.
Social media platforms must therefore actively instruct kids on how to preserve their privacy by selecting the appropriate privacy settings. But in the absence of truly effective parental supervision, parents are the ones who step in first.
Over Time, Dad and Mom’s Roles Have Seen Significant Shifts
Children’s development has been expedited by social media, and keeping up with the most recent news is far from easy. However, it is important to be aware that children begin using smartphones at 8 to 9 years old and sign up for Facebook and Instagram around 10 to 12 years old.
Above all else, parents should teach kids about the risks associated with social media and help them set up privacy settings.
Social media networks do not provide true parental controls that let you monitor what your kids do and publish on social media from a distance.
You can only make the account private or restrict the visibility of posts through settings.
Here are some steps you can do to keep kids and teenagers safe on social media.
How To Keep Children Safe on Facebook
Facebook does not provide parental controls for parents, but it does let you select who can see your posts.
If your child wants to join Facebook, you shouldn’t stop him or her from doing so, but before he or she signs up, you should go over all the risks the social network poses with him or her and establish the privacy settings together.
You must log into your child’s Facebook account, select Settings from the menu that appears, and then push the down arrow icon in the top right corner.
You must select Privacy from the left-hand column of the newly opened menu.
From here, you can modify every parameter in this part to protect your child.
You must select “Specific friends” under “Who can see your future posts” and decide with your child which friends should have access to the published photos and videos.
Additionally, it is crucial to check the posts in which our child will be tagged. To do this, “Use the Activity Log” must be selected under the instruction to “Check all the posts in which you are tagged.”
You will also need to modify the settings for the items in the “How people find you and contact you” section if you want to restrict friend requests and any other “intrusion.” Once this stage is finished, select “Diary and add tags” from the left column.
Monitoring Kid’s Online Activity
In the digital age, it’s not enough to set rules and hope that your kids will abide by them. With so many online risks, including cyberbullying, identity theft, and online predators, it is important to maintain an effective monitoring method for your child’s online activity.
Parents should have an open line of communication with their children about the internet and technology use. It is recommended that parents seek out modern solutions like parental control software to help protect their children while they are online.
The parental control software can limit the amount of time a child spends online and restrict access to certain websites or applications that are deemed inappropriate by their parents. Solutions like these help protect young people from accessing harmful materials or communicating with potentially dangerous strangers.
Additionally, as these programs often provide detailed monitoring reports about children’s activities on the internet, parents can also be alerted if there are any potential issues detected in the report.
By being proactive with digital safety measures such as this, parents can ensure that their kids stay safe when they use technology, whilst remaining connected to the digital world.
How To Protect a Teen’s Instagram Profile
Kids now use Instagram Stories more than any other social media platform since they became first available. Millions of teens have undoubtedly been attracted by the ability to quickly share an image of their daily lives.
But how can you protect the privacy of your kids?
Instagram gives you the option to make your account private and to agree to other users following you. When Instagram is open, press the last symbol in the bottom right and then the icon with three vertical dots in the top right to activate the “private account” feature.
It will only take a few clicks to activate the “Private Account” option in the newly opened menu to make our photos invisible to other users.
How To Protect Children As Parents on Social Media
It’s crucial to adjust the privacy settings on all the popular social media networks your kids use.
However, parents must also take action to protect their children. Parents publish images of their children and teenagers first, which causes them to make the same mistakes as the children do.
Consider who will be able to see the photo of your child before uploading it online and where it might end up.
Conclusion
In conclusion, being informed and responsible when it comes to technology is important. Parents need to communicate with their children and be aware of what apps and websites they’re using. Parental involvement is key for making sure that their kids are safe online.
For children and teens, it’s important to remember that technology is a powerful tool that can be used for both good and bad purposes, so it should be treated with respect.
A positive attitude towards safety will go a long way in helping keep your children safe while they explore the online world. As technology continues to evolve, keeping our kids safe online requires parental guidance and an informed understanding of the issues involved.
