It’s no secret that social media can be dangerous for kids when used in excess. Overuse of social media can lead to body image issues, cyberbullying, anti-social behaviors and more.
To help keep your child’s use of social media healthy and balanced, we’ve outlined several helpful tips for parents below.
- Be a Role Model
Children learn their habits from their parents. When they’re young, they’re like sponges who absorb information and mimic the behaviors of their loved ones. So if your face is glued to your iPad every second of every day, they might just follow suit.
Make sure to be balanced in your own social media usage so that your kids can follow your example. If you currently have bad social media habits, you may even want to invest in a phone jail that allows you to lock up your phone for predetermined amounts of time.
- Set Time Limits for Screen Usage
It’s unrealistic to think that your child will never use a phone in their lives. Phones are so integrated with our culture that it’s almost inevitable your kid will have access to a smart phone at some point.
That said, you can set screen time limits to ensure they don’t overdo things. You may even want to make a rule where your kids can’t sleep in the same room as their phones, to prevent them from disrupting sleep.
- Encourage Them to Go Outside
If your kids don’t have anything else to do other than scroll on their phones, they’re going to do just that. Make sure they have other hobbies to keep them preoccupied. Consider enrolling them in a sport or paying for them to get music lessons.
Listen to your child and find out what outside activities they’d be interested in. The more they’re getting enjoyment from outside sources, the less they will want to be on their phones.
- Educate Your Kids
If your kids understand the dangers of social media addiction, they may be more motivated to keep their usage balanced. Perhaps watch some documentaries with your kids on the subject of social media overuse.
It isn’t always going to be easy to moderate your child’s use of technology and social media. But the tips above can help you in your quest to keep their relationship with their smartphones healthy. For more tips to protect your child from social media dangers, check out the infographic below.
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