Social media sites are extremely popular and the number of users is rising more and more every day. When more and more people flood to use them, the general sentiment is about safety and protection. If millions of people use social media, it must be safe, right?
In fact, Facebook, Snapchat, Tik Tok, Kik – just like any other websites – have their fair share of security issues, many of which have been discussed in the media. Some issues are down to technical problems, while others are because of the people using them.
This is an issue for anyone, but when children and teenagers, who are particularly vulnerable make up such a huge percentage of users, it needs to be addressed. Fortunately, with a few simple practices, such as downloading kik spy tools, you can protect your account and your identity, and those belonging to your teenager.
Put limits on social media use
A report from UNICEF states that ‘some time on social media is actually good’, and that it can be beneficial for children’s social relationships. This is even more likely given the current circumstances we find ourselves in with COVID-19. It gives us the opportunity to stay in touch with families and friends all over the world and keep up to date with world events.
However, with the average teenager spending about nine hours a day on a screen – how much is too much screen time? While it obviously differs from person to person, the general guideline is around two-three hours max. Any more than that and social media may contribute to feelings of anxiety and unhappiness, according to Monitoring the Future.
Monitor their behavior
As we mentioned above, there are various parental control apps like Parentaler that you can use to keep an eye on what your child is doing on various social media platforms. You can see who someone interacts with the most on instagram, check Snapchat chats and many others. It is a way to ensure that they are not being groomed by any would-be predators, who are particularly good at fooling children and teenagers into thinking they are someone they are not. It also helps to give you an idea as to whether there is any cyber bullying going on, or other undesirable behavior.
Discuss the privacy settings with them
On many of the social media networks, the privacy settings can be so complicated that even the most tech-savvy of adults struggle to get their heads around it, let alone children. However, it is important to do your research and check everything. The less information that can be seen by strangers, the better. Discuss the information that they do share on social media and discourage the sharing of photos that show where they go to school or where they live.
Sadly, there are almost always going to be ways that teenagers and children get around using social media and get into trouble on them, but by putting these tips into practice, you can reduce the risk of this happening and keep them safer for longer.
