Social media {What's the appropiate age?}

 

 

 

Communication is primarily electronic these days. And of course, social media seems to be one of, if not THE most popular way younger people communicate. I respect your opinion either way, whether or not you believe children should have social media accounts. I can't tell you what age your child should or should not have a Facebook/Instagram account, just like I can't tell you what to feed your children or what clothes they should wear.

 

 

Some things you should consider before setting up an account for your young child are to ask yourself the following questions:

 

 

• Does my child behave appropriately when I am around and when I'm NOT around?
• Have you set realistic constraints and definitive rules regarding social media?
• Does my child understand the ramifications of inappropriateness on the internet for themselves as well as the parents?
• Does my child know internet safety (i.e. not providing personal information, checking in and friending strangers)?

 

These are only a few of the questions that you should ask your child, because not only is cyber-bullying a huge issue, sexual predators are out there 24/7 just waiting on their next victim. I also find it important to talk initially and even frequently with your children because by listening to them, you can assess their readiness for socializing virtually. Truthfully, I know some grown folks that don't know what to do with social media, so imagine the overwhelming amount of information and exposure that you are placing at the fingertips (literally) of your kids.

 

We talk with our son who is now 10 and wants an Facebook account. We have discussed the importance of being social media savvy and how what he would post and "like" not only represents him, but also us as his parents and the God he serves. When asking him why he wants a Facebook account his answer is always the same, "My friends have one." Which in our eyes means he is not ready to jump into the vast world of social media.

 

When we decide that he is ready for social media, one of the (many) rules we will have for opening and maintaining such an account is that we have to be his "friend/follower". Can he sneak and get another account? Of course! But, with anything else in life, we have to plant the seed, cultivate, "water" and give it room to grow. This is our approach when it comes to raising our son, especially in such a digital world.

 

Let's look at this from another angle. As all of us know, our personal lives and the lives of our children can be catalogued from their ultrasound to their high school graduation. As parents, we also need to give our young children a fighting chance as well. We are representing our children with every picture and conversation and OUR behavior could affect the future of our innocent children too! All in all, we should be careful what we post and teach our children social media modesty as well.

 

What age do you think is appropriate to have social media accounts such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook?

 

With Love,

 

"B"