10 Reasons Parents Should Monitor their Children’s Social Media Accounts

Social Media Accounts
Social Media includes all the sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and much more

Modern technology has brought many entertainment options for kids. Social media is a great way for them to connect with their friends. Unfortunately, there are also many dangers that can come from social media interaction. When kids get online they are vulnerable and able to be approached by unsafe people. When kids are online, they sometimes attract people that do not have their best interest in mind. Many pedophiles search the internet regularly, in search of their next victim. Kids may not be able to tell the difference between them and other kids.

You can give your kids rules, however

, they are often curious about other people and internet sites. Parents need to be aware of who their kids are talking to. They also need to see what type of sites are being searched. Some kids are extremely social, and enjoy meeting new people, while others may easily stick to a set of known friends. Kids are not supposed to be on certain sites. Some lie about their age, however, to be able to get on social media. It is important that young kids are corrected when they attempt this.

If you have kids that are able to use social media, you are probably dealing with teenagers. This can be a challenge in itself. Take the time to find out what your children are doing on their favorite sites so that you can monitor properly. Once you begin to take a look at their activity, you can have a better idea of how much monitoring each child needs.

10Strangers

Your children will definitely find Strangers on Social Media and remember, all Strangers are not good

9Curiosity

Limitations in using Social Media increases Curiosity among children

8Safety

The rate of Cyber Crime increases if your children are not using Social Media with care

Safety is the number one goal when it comes to caring for our kids. It is often a constant struggle to keep them safe from the dangers of the world. Many dangers lurk right outside our front doors. Parents often have a difficult time finding a good balance when it comes to nurturing the social skills. With the many dangers of modern life, safety is getting more difficult to maintain. Safety online can get more complicated than other types of situations. Traditional safety concerns revolve around kids going to people’s houses, and out on their own.

Internet safety is a difficult thing figure out, due to the many avenues of contact that can occur. There are many ways for strangers to gain access to your children. Some social media accounts are very organized, while others are more easily accessible. Safety concerns are often addressed by social media sites, however, the main safety measures must be taken by those that own the accounts. This means that parents, have to monitor the account. Kids may not be able to perceive a safety threat.

Safety can be talked about prior to letting kids get online. They need to be prepared for the many different possibilities. Online safety is not common knowledge. Parents need to teach their kids how to know when someone is being unsafe. This is a learning process. Parents need to monitor the situation by checking their kid’s accounts regularly, while kids are still learning.

7Inappropriate Activity

Children may go for Inappropriate Activity on social media that may cause problems

 

As kids age, they are more likely to engage in inappropriate behavior. They are not necessarily trying to cause trouble, however, they tend to try out different things. There are many things online, however, that are inappropriate and should be watched out for. It is important to monitor how your kids relate to other people online. They may make comments on posts that are inappropriate, or engage in conversations they shouldn’t.

All internet activity exposes kids to new opportunities to engage in inappropriate behavior. On social media, this behavior can go both ways. Your child may need to take a break from social media if they are found to be using it the wrong way. There should be no signs of bullying, sexual references, or foul language. Hold your kids to the same set of standards online, as you would in person.

It can be much easier to be inappropriate online, as kids feel that they are somewhat hidden. There is still no excuse, however to be rude to others. Social media also allows for group chats to be formed. This can be a lot of fun for kids. It is the same concept of getting all of your friends together for a visit. In these groups, kids can get carried away with their words or gang up on others. Make sure your kids are handling themselves properly.

6Privacy Settings

Parents should ensure the Privacy Settings of their child’s accounts

 

Thankfully, there are some great safety settings available on many of the social media sites. These can be set to make accounts completely private. This can also make it difficult for others to find their friends, however. Kids want their kids to be able to find them, however, parents want to keep their accounts hidden from strangers. It is important to limit what other people see. Kids need to understand that they should only allow access to their account when they know someone in person. This can be difficult to maintain, as many people may request access to your kids account. They may accidentally let the wrong person in.

Parental controls are available on some sites. This method links the children’s site with their kid’s site. This is great for young kids, as it is a sort of training camp for social media. Each post can also be set differently. Never set a kid’s post to the “public” setting. Kids may like to post many picture of themselves. These are often sought out by predators. Make sure that your children’s account does not offer access to the public.

Kids may undo some of the privacy settings to allow more features. Parents need to check on these things regularly. They need to be reset if parents find that the kids have disabled them in some way. If they continue to disable them, it is a good idea to take the account down until the child can comply. There may also be some people that need to be completely blocked. Go into your child’s account and block the people that you do not want to have access to your child.

5Messaging

Messaging is also a part of social media to communicate with others. So deal with it in a better way

 

A big part of social media is the ability to message friends. This can fun for kids who may not even have their own cell phone yet. Messages can be sent directly through the site, or on separate apps. Parents may feel that they are invading their kid’s privacy by looking at these messages. It is something that must be checked from time to time, however. Look out for messages that have come from people that your kids do not know. This can be difficult to discern, as some accounts allow for the owners name to be changed. Many people makeup fun names for themselves online. You must communicate with your child, so that you know who each person is.

Messaging can erased on some sites, almost immediately. This makes it difficult for parents to know if they are seeing everything. It may be best to have kids avoid these sites, altogether. There are also apps that are aimed at messaging, only. These are incredibly dangerous, as anyone could be on there. It is imperative, that parent’s look through any new apps they may find on their kid’s phones.

Messages, when used responsibly, can be a great deal of fun. If kids are unable to hang out with their friends on a given day, they can simply talk online. This also helps to save money for parents. A new cell phone, may not be in the budget. Messaging can be done on tablets and computers, as well. Messages need to be checked to learn how your child talks to others, and how the other kids are talking. If things are getting out of hand, parents often have contact each other to assess the situation. If you feel the need to talk to another child or their parent about texting content, it may be time to limit messaging time.

4Questionable Content

There are a number of Questionable Content on Social Media so be careful and have an eye on your child activity

3Child Trafficking

2Suspicious Behavior

The child’s Suspicious Behavior should be noticed before it gets too late

1Bullying

Your child’s confidence gets lowered by continuous  Bullying