Teaching Your Child to Use Social Media Responsibly 

The Internet is a vast space with a huge source of information and connections to different opportunities. Whilst this can be great and highly beneficial, it is also a space that can be dangerous to young people. Social media has both positive and negative impacts on young people’s mental health so it is important to take time to have conversations with a child about how to use social media properly and how to avoid dangers. Here are some top tips from a sixth form in Milton Keynes on teaching your child to use social media responsibly.

To start, it is important to understand why you need to talk to your child about social media. If your child has access to the Internet, they also have access to social media sites. It is important to discuss dangers with them before a problem occurs. Talking about this can feel awkward at first, but doing this as early as possible can make them comfortable sharing this information with you. If anything bad occurs online, your child will feel more comfortable coming to you for help if you have already established a safe space.

There are many positive sides to social media which should be taken advantage of. Whilst you explain the dangers of these platforms to your child, don’t forget to balance it out by showing them the right way to use social media too. It can be a great way to make social and professional connections. Your child as well as the internet, is constantly growing and evolving. It is important to remember that as your child changes, so do the guidelines and rules online. Be sure to keep on top of them as they vary for each age range. What works for your youngest child may not apply to your eldest. 

When sitting down to talk to your child about rules, remember to set the right tone. Begin your conversation in a calm and neutral way whilst avoiding yelling or using any emotional language. Take a non-judgmental approach when talking about social media as it will help your child build a trusting relationship with you and make them feel comfortable to talk to you about their online space. Be sure to ask them about what platforms they use rather than assuming as this may make them angry. Let them take the lead and teach you how each social media works. Ask questions if you feel you would like to know more rather than jumping to conclusions, as in this day and age, children know a lot more than we do.