Reem Alqallaf writes: Teaching kids to Be Smart on Social Media

There are a lot of good aspects about social media, but there are many risks that children and teenagers should avoid. Kids don’t always make smart choices when they decide to post something to a site which may lead to future problems. It’s very important to have a conversation with your child about how to use social media wisely.

What’s good about Social Media?

Stay connected

Encourages creativity by sharing thoughts and ideas

Interact with people with the same interests

Communicate with teachers and their peers

What’s bad about Social Media?

On the other hand social media can be used for cyberbullying and shady activities. Since kids can be naive and can share too much information online .

Most kids

Post photos of themselves and use their real names on their profiles

Reveal their interests

Reveal personal details of themselves and family members

What can parents do?

It’s crucial parents are aware of what their kids are doing online. Snooping can make things even worse and they might be smarter the next time by deleting history so the parents don’t find anything. The important thing to do is be involved in a way that makes them feel comfortable for them to come to you and to talk about what is going on in their lives and you explain to them what goes on and how some people use social media in a bad way to get to kids and lure them to make bad decisions.

What to tell your kids on how to act on social media platforms

Always be nice and to never post hurtful messages

Always use privacy settings

Don’t post anything your parents wouldn’t be proud of

Don’t accept friend requests from strangers.

اعداد: أ. ريم القلاف

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