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The first tip is to be educated. Become knowledgeable about the apps your
child is using. Are there security measures in place on the app itself? Who are
they talking to? What kind of information is shared? At the bottom of the page there are some links
providing information about privacy and dangerous apps that most teenagers use
on a regular basis. Some apps don't even have any privacy settings and information can be shared with anyone in the world. These new social media apps are kind of scary and parents should be informed about them.
After becoming educated, it is your job as parents to ask questions and
to be as involved as possible with your youth. This can only be done if you obtain all of the
passwords and regularly check social media accounts and/or text messages. The
next question I hear most often, isn’t this invading their privacy? Well, yes,
but your job as a parent is safety first. It may be an incredibly uncomfortable
discussion and create an unwanted battle but it is within your right as a
parent to make these necessary changes for safety. I'd rather have my teenager mad at me because I'm invading their privacy then have something else happen.
It is also recommended that
parents ask who each and every one of their child’s ‘friends’ are that follow
them and interact with them regularly on social media. Anyone who is not a
reasonable ‘friend’ can be deleted and removed for added safety. I’m finding a
lot of teenagers friend strangers just because they are “hot” and/or live in
the same area as them. We don't know these people, and who knows, they may be perfectly nice and appropriate, but sometimes I'd rather not take that chance.
Now how do we monitor all of these devices? It is so easy with phones
that have internets and lap tops for a teenager to just spend all their time
locked up in their rooms. It is ok for your children to own all these
devices, but it is also ok to place restrictions on them. For
example, lap tops must be used in an open and well-used area. Most teenagers
are not going to do something unsafe or inappropriate if they are being
watched.
It is also important to put a time limit on these devices so they are
not spending all of their free time locked to a screen or staying up late into the night. Content blockers and internet safety devices also exist for added measure if
your teenager cannot be supervised at all times.
Lastly, educate your children about the kind of material they are posting
and where this information goes. Most teenagers do not actually know their
material is public to the world. Teach them how to privatize their social media
pages. Teach about what material is appropriate or inappropriate and how to
attract a more positive audience and avoid things such as cyber bullying due to
post content.
These are all very personal rules and restrictions. This information should be talked over as a family and agreed upon first so parents are on the same page together. Not all of these rules might be needed or appropriate for your family, but these are just some of the things that come up most in my family sessions working at the hospital. Just know that you are the parent, you are in control and safety always comes first.
These are all very personal rules and restrictions. This information should be talked over as a family and agreed upon first so parents are on the same page together. Not all of these rules might be needed or appropriate for your family, but these are just some of the things that come up most in my family sessions working at the hospital. Just know that you are the parent, you are in control and safety always comes first.
