Children and Social Media

DM

  Ladies and Gentleman...

If you are a parent of a child that is currently active on social media I have a few words for you...

1) Do you have any idea what they are liking, sharing, and posting? If you don't, I think you need to be more aware of that. It isn't just what your child is posting but also what their friends are posting.
2) No matter what you may think... what someone posts or shares on social media could possibly haunt their future. You should probably have the social media talk with them.
3) An awful lot of kids are posting about suicide, feeling rejected, and other dark topics... I see it... and I think you should too. If your child has a definitive attitude change check their social media accounts for clues. Sadly, many kids don't share the reasoning with parents until it's too late.  Or some parents just aren't that engaged in their child's life. 
4) Much like the dangers of adults forwarding emails and falling for click bait... our children seem to fall for much worse. Some of which could give access from dangerous individuals to your child's accounts.
5) No matter what you may think about dialogue... Cyber Bullying is a serious matter. If you don't stop it now it could turn into much worse later. Today's youth use words like squad, peeps, and my mains. This can lead to exclusion and bullying of others. According to recent studies when children have exclusive friends it is because they aren't "allowed" to associate with certain people. This is a form of bullying. Some times a Facebook or Instagram "Hate" page is started to get a group together to show discourse for a person, event, or way of thinking...  If a child is controlling others to mold their thoughts, friendships, and relationships at a young age just think what they will do in their later years.
6) Facebook is NOT private. Abuse of social media could result in identity theft.  Many people find leaving their profile public will gain many friends.  But if you let the door wide open you never know what may wander in.
7) Friending on social media has been touted as a show of popularity. Honestly, if you think it's great to have thousands of friends you are setting yourself up for danger. It is said that 70% of friend requests are typically accepted by kids whether they know them or not.
8) Many kids know how to play the "game." It is proven that kids will have one profile for their "friends" and another for their "parents." It was found that many kids have more than 3 accounts on Instagram, Kik, and Snapchat.
9) Expletives, inappropriate images, and explicit selfies are just as common on a teens profile as they are in some adults. Paying attention to what a child likes and shares is very important.
10) Kids are losing the ability to communicate face to face. Many lack social skills. And more have grammar issues that extend far beyond their education.
11) Is your child a social media addict? Try having "Tech Time-outs" during family times... Dinner, car rides, and social gatherings.  Tech gadgets should not be given as alternative babysitters.
12) Social media popularity has assisted in lack of exercise and obesity.
13) Over 80% of teens have at least one post that contains profanity on their walls.
14) The age for a Facebook page is 13.  Many children lie on their birthdates to get a FB account.  One day they will have much confusion in their social footprint because of their profile.
15) If your child has any of the following apps read more about them at the link after the list:
Kik Messenger
OoVoo
WhatsApp
Instagram
Tumblr
Twitter
Vine
YouNow: Broadcast
Burn Note
Snapchat
Whisper
Yik Yak
MeetMe
Omegle
Skout
Tinder

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/16-apps-and-websites-kids-are-heading-to-after-facebook

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Tell your child to ask themselves... "Will this post I am about to publish represent who I am?" If not... maybe it shouldn't be posted.