If you’re in the age range of late twenties to late thirties, you probably remember growing up with those monster-sized computers and fighting your siblings for whose turn it was to use it. You probably somehow got a virus on your computer for playing on those websites that had over 100 different games on it, and your parents warned you not to go on those websites again. Nowadays, kids have the whole world right at their finger tips. Parents can place all the blocks they want on their child’s phone or computer, but kiddos know how to be crafty; they probably learned it on Tik Tok! In this article, we’ll be discussing some other ways to keep your kids safe while in the ever growing world of social media and the internet.

Create a Safe Space at Home

The internet can be a dark and unforgiving place. Without us knowing, kids can get on YouTube and watch a murder mystery series right before bed, causing them to fear sleeping in their own room or the dark. It is important to create a safe environment at home where your kids feel they can discuss what they have seen with you. Try having regular check-ins with them about how they are using social media. Validate their feelings, tell them they are not in trouble, and ask them open-ended questions about what they have been seeing. It can be easy to get upset with your kids for viewing some of this stuff, but remember that you are their safe space. Sometimes, it wasn’t your kid who chose to view something, but it popped up on their feed and now they have questions. This is when discussing parental blocks with them can be beneficial, as it shows them you are protecting them from harm and not just taking away their internet autonomy. It is important to not raise your temper, but instead educate them on the importance of internet safety.

Teach Them Internet Safety

Speaking of internet safety, it is extremely important that you teach your kiddos how to avoid viruses, scams, or dangerous individuals on the internet. Kids are not born knowing how to use technology, and we all know when we were growing up, our parents probably didn’t have the strongest idea yet of internet safety. Again, even if you put blocks on certain websites that have been known to create a virus, you probably didn’t block every single one of them. Sit down with your kiddos and show them visually what to look out for; someone you do not know is messaging you? Show a parent first or block them. This button on this website is blinking and saying if you click it, all your dreams will come true? Do not click it. Teach them the definition of a scam to ensure that even if they are bypassing your blocks, they can at least be safe from digital harm.

Also, you probably remember all those fun and wacky commercials on kids networks growing up, begging your parents to buy you the latest slime or doll because you were influenced by the ad. For kids today, it is not just a quick ad on Nickelodeon or Disney, but constant, never ending ads on social media. This can be a lot of information for your child to take in, and it can be extremely overwhelming. It’s no longer just toys, but weight loss drugs, influencer diets, and other things that kiddos should not have to concern themselves with at a young age. Take the time to educate your kids on social media red flags or “adult” content: like diet culture, expensive make up, porn or sexualized posts, anything you believe your child should not be concerned with. Explain to them why it is not for their age range and possibly guide them towards more age appropriate content.

Time Limits

As adults, we understand that it is very easy to get sucked into doomscrolling on our phones. For us, it might feel easier to step away from our phones when we have responsibilities to tend to. Kids, however, might not have that same mindset. Using timers or alarms can be super helpful in teaching your child boundaries and limits with internet usage. Setting a 1 hr time limit can allow your kid enough time to chat with their friends, watch a funny video, or scroll for a little while without it becoming all consuming. It can also be super beneficial to model the behavior; if the timer goes off, maybe it is also time for you to step away from your social media as well. Utilize that time to spend some quality time with your children. This not only can deepen a parents bond with their kiddos, but it can also be extremely beneficial for the parent as well, especially if they find themselves struggling to get off social media in a timely fashion.

Reach Out

Sometimes, social media can cause a lot more harm than we realize. Kids become over-stimulated, over-educated on adult topics, and in turn don’t have helpful coping strategies to process what they are seeing. It can be helpful to create a list of coping strategies for your child, social media related or not, so they can regulate their emotions. Sometimes, however, kids turn to harmful strategies like self harm.

If you feel that maybe you don’t have the skills or knowledge to educate your kids on these topics, try looking into therapy for your kiddo if it has reached this point. Again, it is super important that you create a safe space at home to discuss these things, but it can be helpful for your kid to have their own space to process their feelings and emotions regarding the rise and usage of social media.

Remember: there is always someone willing to help! You and your kids don’t have to do this alone! Reach out today if you are interested or have any questions.