Safety In Social Media

Keeping young people safe online, and in life, is a common goal of all those involved in their lives. The online world is growing constantly, and social media use among teens keeps right along with that growth. It isn't enough to just let these young people jump right in, head first. We have to prepare them for the risks associated with the online world. In particular, we have to prepare our teens to safely maneuver their way on social media sites. The best ways to prepare them for this, are to teach them the positive and negative consequences involved, and by keeping a consistent, honest dialogue going about it.

The Facts:

We are now living in a digital age. The majority of activities in our daily lives revolve around technology in some way or another. From messaging colleges to grocery shopping online, there are very few things that one cannot do using a computer, the internet, and a bit of knowledge. The increase of cell phone and internet usage has also exposed many teenagers to the world of social media.

A recent report stated:

·         95% of teens, age 12-17, use the internet.

·         Of those, 81% are part of some sort of social media site.

·         When asked how often they access the sites, almost 90% say they log on every day or on a weekly basis, and 50% log on more than once a day.

(Lepi, Katie. (2014, July 28). How Teens Are Really Using Social Media. Retrieved from

http://www.edudemic.com/teens-are-really-using-social-media/)

The Benefits:

·         Allows teens to stay connected with friends, family, and peers

·         Allows teens to express themselves and share thoughts, feelings, and interests

·         Expands teen’s social scope and helps the exchange of diverse ideas, cultures, and opinions

·         The availability of news and knowledge from all around the world

·         Can help teens promote and spread social awareness and get involved with a campaign, nonprofit, or charity

The Risks:

·         Cyberbullying and online harassment

·         The possibility of being “Catfished” or exposed to online predators (it is easy to create fake personas online)

·         Can create a lack of privacy/blurs the lines of what should remain private and what is okay to share

·         A time waster

·         Less face-to-face interactions

With the almost inevitable teen participation in social media, it is important to be aware and cautious of both the benefits and the risks involved. As parents learn about the use and consequences of Social Media, they will be better prepared to help their teens conquer the issues that arise with its use. 

One mother shares how, in her family, they work together to avoid the problems that can arise with her teen's use of phones and social media.         

          “We talk to our kids openly on a weekly basis. We have family night and we stress the importance of using their time wisely on their phone and what is appropriate and what isn’t. They seem to respond well to us talking with them. Something new we have started is charging our phones in the same area at night. We put them in our room, so that they don't have them late at night, it just takes the temptation away.

          They do not have the passwords to purchase apps, they have to ask me and my husband first. Snapchat is a very popular app and that is not allowed on their phones.

          They have to be friends with us on social media sites, and they also know that we will do random searches of their phones, and if at any point we find an inappropriate post or comment, they lose their accounts/phone.

          My son didn’t friend us first on Facebook and I told him if he didn't he would lose his account. Right there he friended us.”

This family has found what works for them. They do what they can to keep the line of communication open, and keep a tight reign on the families' use of technology and social media.

If one were to search the internet for “safe social media practices”, they would be met with an assortment of tips and tricks from people all over the world. As a parent, it is important to be aware of these tips and help our teens to be safe and aware when using the internet. The easiest way to ensure this is to help our children know the consequences that may come with social media. It is also important that children know they can look to their parents, or another adult, for help if they do something they shouldn’t have, feel uncomfortable with something, or are just generally having problems with their social media use.

Tips for Safe Internet Use: 

Here are some general tips for parents:

·         Talk to your teens about what they are doing online.

·         Remind them that social networking ‘friends’ aren’t necessarily the same as real friends.

·         Learn about the privacy settings on the various social media websites and talk to you teens about the importance of privacy. (Most website allow users to limit who can see their posts and content.)

·         Talk to your teens about the importance of respecting themselves and others. Comments made online are not any different than comments made in real life. Bullying in never acceptable, whether it is online or face-to-face.

·         There is a time and a place for social media/internet use. Set up boundaries and times when it is acceptable. (i.e. no phones at dinner time or family time). It is important to take some time to unplug and have real interactions.

·         Prepare your teens for the aforementioned risks and help them to know what to do and who they can turn to if they are in trouble.

Being actively involved is one of the greatest tools for teaching teens to be safe with social media. There will never be a completely perfect, thorough answer for how to prepare teens for the risks involved with social media use. Every child is different, and every parent has a different way of doing things. Not every risk can be 100% prevented, but every effort should be made to minimize those risks as much as possible. There will always be risks concerning something as universal as social media. It doesn’t mean teens can’t or shouldn’t be a part of it. It just means parents need to be aware. As stated in The Family: A Proclamation to the World, “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. (italics added) ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness.” (First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1995). We are obligated to watch over the youth. If we don't, we will be accountable for great troubles they have due to the lack of them being taught. When applying this specifically to social media, it is about communicating with them, and being involved in all they do. When those two things are done, teens are given the best chance they have at navigating the social media world, and most importantly, doing it safely.