“I don’t like Facebook. I don’t see the point and it’s a waste of time,” a mom says to me.
She makes a great point. Social media can be a time suck. I jump onto Facebook or Twitter during the day for an actual purpose, and then I completely forget what it was I was going to say, do, or check on. I’m easily sidelined by the entertaining moments or daily news posted by my friends and family.
Many parents choose to stay off of social media for privacy reasons, too. They don’t want photos of their kids floating around the Internet or they aren’t interested in re-connecting with people from the past.
These seem like valid reasons to steer clear of social media.
But, here’s the thing: Even if you aren’t an active user of social media, you need to understand how these platforms work. If you are in the throes of parenthood, you are raising children who are–or will eventually be–digital users. Today’s kids simply don’t conduct their social lives in the same ways we did.
As Tracey Hawkins, the Safety Lady, says in my article “Stay Safe from Social Media Gossip” in the July issue of Kansas City Parent magazine, you can’t fight what you don’t understand.
Do you want your kids to cut their teeth on social media with guidance from their peers or from you?
Even if you have no intention of doing anything more than lurking, at the very least familiarize yourself with social media platforms that you know your child uses or would like to use. Here is why:
- You’ll be able to follow your kids online and see what they are posting and who they are interacting with. Use mistakes or errors in judgment as opportunities for discussion.
- Your involvement will promote conversation about social media between you and your child. Ask your kids questions. Ask them to teach you about the sites they are interested in. Help them think critically about these sites. What do they like most about these platforms? What annoys, bothers, or frustrates them about the sites?
- You can offer guidance to help your kids build a smarter, confident digital identity. Just because they are tech savvy doesn’t mean they always make the right choices when it comes to creating a street-savvy online footprint. You teach them how to be safe in their offline life. The same attention needs to be paid toward their online life.
- You’ll know how to navigate their social media pages. (Make sure you have access to their passwords.) As their parent, you are ultimately responsible for knowing what they are doing and saying online. Be proactive now to avoid playing defense later.
- As an aware parent, you can proactively and firmly shutter accounts that you feel are harmful to your kids or promote cruel behavior among participants. Be sure to discuss why these sites don’t align with your family’s values.
- By brushing up on social media rules, you will be in a better position to be aware of and enforce age restrictions set by the sites. (Most require that users are at least 13 years old.)
To read more about social media use and teens, also check out my article “Separation Anxiety: Teens & Social Media Addiction” in the July issue of The Health Journal.
Which social media sites are your teens currently into?
Photo courtesy: FreeDigitalPhotos.net/chomnancoffee
