Social media is now a normal part of growing up for most children and teenagers. While these platforms offer great ways to stay connected with friends and explore interests, they also come with real risks that every parent should understand.
Research shows that excessive social media use is linked to serious mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, with children spending more than three hours daily having double the risk of developing these conditions.
Beyond mental health, online predators use social media platforms to identify and groom children, sometimes moving conversations to private messaging apps where they can more easily manipulate young users into sharing personal information or explicit content.
Fortunately, parents don't have to figure this out alone. By teaching your child a few essential safety rules, you can help them navigate social media confidently and responsibly.
1. Keep Personal Information Private
Your child should never share personal details like their full name, home address, phone number, or school name on social media. Even seemingly small pieces of information can be pieced together by strangers or used by people with bad intentions. Teach your child that their social media accounts are not the same as talking to their best friend—anything they post could potentially be seen by thousands of people.
2. Think Before Posting Photos
Once a photo is posted online, it can be saved, shared, and spread by others forever. Even if your child deletes it, someone may have already taken a screenshot or saved a copy. This rule becomes especially important when it comes to photos of their body, which should never be shared online regardless of privacy settings.
3. Know Who They Are Talking To
Remind your child that not everyone online is who they claim to be. Strangers sometimes create fake accounts to chat with young people, and these conversations can sometimes lead to uncomfortable or dangerous situations. Your child should only accept friend requests from people they actually know in real life.
4. Understand That Messages Don't Actually Disappear
Many platforms like Snapchat show messages that disappear, which can trick kids into sharing things they wouldn't normally share. The truth is that anyone can take a screenshot of a message or photo before it disappears. Your child should treat every message like it could be saved and shown to others.
5. Watch Out for Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is a serious problem, with approximately 15% of school-aged children experiencing it. Mean or hurtful comments are the most common form, affecting 77.5% of cyberbullying victims. Teach your child that if they're being bullied online, they should tell you, a trusted adult, or report it to the platform right away.
6. Don't Share the Same Information About Others
Your child might be tempted to post about their friends' locations, interests, or activities. They should ask permission before sharing anything about another person online, just as they would want others to ask before sharing about them. This shows respect for their friends' privacy too.
7. Check Privacy Settings Regularly
Social media apps change their privacy settings frequently, so it's worth checking them every few months. Your child's profiles should be set to private, which means only approved friends can see their posts and activities. They should also be selective about which people they accept as friends.
8. Limit Screen Time and Protect Sleep
Research shows that children who spend more than three hours a day on social media have double the risk of depression and anxiety. Screen time should be limited to about two hours daily for recreational purposes, and devices should be kept out of the bedroom at least one hour before bedtime. This protects both their mental health and their sleep quality.
9. Be Careful With Location Sharing
Geolocation features on smartphones can reveal your child's location in real-time. Even if they're not actively checking in, some apps automatically tag their location. Teach your child to turn off location services for social media apps unless it's absolutely necessary, and never to share their current location with people they don't know well.
10. Talk About What They See Online
Help your child understand that social media shows an edited version of people's lives, not reality. Posts are usually carefully chosen to make someone look happier or more successful than they might feel in real life. This can help protect your child from feeling bad about themselves or comparing their own life unfairly to what they see online.
