As 75% of teenagers own phones these days and most of them use social media. There's a strong chance that they might fall a trap to cyber threats that come along with social media.
As children don't have matured minds, manipulators and scammers find new ways everyday to harm them or run scams.
It's always a necessity to have someone over watching kids to make sure they are safe from getting any harm. Best way is to have their parents give them some time and tell them how to utilize social media and what they should have in their minds while using social sites.
81% of parents are concerned about the information that someone could get from their child's social activities.
Pros of Parents Monitoring their Kid's Social Media
Over watching your kid's social movements is always a healthy activity. It ensures their security and keeps you updated about the company they keep.
You can predict upcoming threats and tell your kids how to encounter it before any serious damage happens.
Some of the benefits of monitoring your kids social media are as follows:
● Safety:
Safety of kids is for sure the biggest priority of every parent. If someone is monitoring their kids' digital activity it's just because he/she cares about them.
They want to keep their kids safe and sound from cyber threats. By monitoring parents can ensure their child is not being exposed to harmful or inappropriate content, and can also monitor their child's interactions to ensure they are not being bullied or targeted by predators.
● Accountability:
It's said " anything uploaded once on the internet is impossible to be removed permanently" as it stays somewhere.
One's social activity casts a huge impact on his/her future. By monitoring their child's social media use, parents can ensure their child is using the platforms responsibly and not engaging in activities that could harm their reputation or future opportunities.
● Communication:
Since the internet has been introduced it has increased distances and minimized physical activities. Kids are being away from family and tend to communicate less.
Parents can use social media monitoring as an opportunity to open up lines of communication with their child and discuss online safety, responsible use, and digital citizenship.
● Educating:
If a person is monitoring their kid's activity, they could sense whenever something evil tries to have its ties on the younger one. It helps parents act accordingly.
They can educate their child about online privacy and how to protect themselves from scams and other online dangers. These lessons stay with them lifelong and make them a precarious person.
● Setting Boundaries:
Social media isn't a threat itself, there are certain aspects of it that makes it harmful for kids as it manipulates their minds.
Parents can use monitoring as a way to set and enforce healthy boundaries around social media use, such as limiting the amount of time their child spends on the platforms.
● Predicting Mental Health Issues:
Mental health is being deteriorated day after day and it affects teenagers the most. They get influenced by successful people.
This intimidation leads them to mental health problems. Parents can use monitoring as a way to detect signs of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and cyberbullying, and take appropriate action.
● Protects Children from Online Dangers:
Monitoring social media can help parents identify instances of cyberbullying, online predators, and other online dangers. This can help parents take action to protect their children from harm.
● Promotes Healthy Decision-Making:
Parents can use social media monitoring as an opportunity to talk to their children about responsible online behavior and healthy decision-making. This can help children develop important skills and habits that will serve them well in the future.
● Encourages Open Communication:
Monitoring social media can open up lines of communication between parents and children about online safety and other important issues. This can help children feel more comfortable talking to their parents about a wide range of topics.
● Builds Trust Through a Transparent Approach:
If parents are transparent with their children about their social media monitoring, it can help build trust between parents and children. Children may feel more secure knowing that their parents are looking out for them online.
● Helps Parents Stay Informed:
By monitoring their children's social media use, parents can stay informed about what their children are doing online, who they are talking to, and what they are interested in. This can help parents stay engaged with their children and better understand their interests and concerns.
● Can Prevent Future Problems:
By catching potential problems early on, parents can take action to prevent them from escalating into larger issues. For example, if a child is being cyberbullied, parents can intervene early on and prevent the situation from getting worse.
● Helps Parents Guide Children's Online Behavior:
By monitoring social media use, parents can identify areas where their children may need guidance or support in making healthy choices online. For example, if a child is engaging in excessive social media use, parents can talk to them about setting boundaries and balancing their time online and offline.
● Provides Peace of Mind:
Social media can be a source of anxiety for parents who worry about their children's safety online. By monitoring social media use, parents can gain peace of mind and feel more confident that their children are engaging in healthy online behaviors.
● Helps Parents Stay Connected with their Children:
Social media is an important part of many children's lives, and monitoring their social media use can help parents stay connected with their children's interests and experiences.
● Can Help prevent Social Media Addiction:
Social media addiction is a growing concern, especially among young people. By monitoring their children's social media use, parents can identify signs of addiction and take action to help their children develop healthy habits and behaviors.
● Allows Parents to Intervene if Necessary:
If parents identify concerning behavior or content on their children's social media accounts, they can intervene to prevent potential harm. This may involve talking to their children, contacting school officials or law enforcement, or taking other steps to protect their children's safety.
In the past couple of years, anxiety and depression has increased upto 25% in kids
Cons of Monitoring kid's Social Media
There aren't as many cons of monitoring kid's social media as it's for their own good. But if you have a look at it from a kid's perspective you might find some points that they might find offensive and it could be a reason for them being more distanced.
Major cons of monitoring kid's social movements are as follows:
● Invasion of Privacy:
Monitoring a child's social media activity can be seen as a violation of their privacy, as it may make them feel like they are being constantly watched and judged.
This might create distance between you and kids. They'll feel you're always on their heads and it might make them secretly hate you.
● Damaged Trust:
If a kid is constantly being observed, he could start being pessimistic and think he's not worthy enough to be trusted.
The child could feel that his parents do not trust them, it can damage their relationship and make it harder for them to confide in their parents in the future.
● Limited Freedom of Expression:
Children may feel restricted in expressing their thoughts and opinions online if they know that their parents are monitoring their activity.
This can't let them say what they actually have in their minds. They'll restrict it inside themselves and keep growing with the secret. This would never let you know what kind of mentality they have.
● Stifling Creativity:
Children may be less likely to express themselves creatively on social media if they know their parents are monitoring their activity. This can lead to a loss of self-expression and creativity.
● Hinders Development of Problem - Solving Skills:
Children need to learn how to navigate the online world on their own, with their own decision-making and problem-solving skills. If their parents are constantly monitoring their social media use, they may miss out on important learning opportunities.
● Encourages Secrecy:
Children may start to develop ways to circumvent their parents' monitoring efforts, such as creating fake accounts or using social media when their parents aren't around. This can create an atmosphere of secrecy that is detrimental to the parent-child relationship.
● Can Lead to Resentment:
If children feel that their privacy is being invaded or that they are not trusted, they may start to resent their parents. This can lead to a breakdown in the parent-child relationship and make it difficult for children to open up to their parents about important issues.
● Limits Growth and Learning:
Monitoring social media can limit children's exposure to different perspectives and ideas, which can hinder their growth and learning. It's important for children to be able to explore different opinions and viewpoints on their own.
● Can be Time-Consuming:
Monitoring social media can be a time-consuming process for parents, which can be especially challenging if they have multiple children or if they are monitoring multiple social media platforms.
● Can be Difficult to Enforce:
It can be challenging for parents to monitor their children's social media use effectively, especially if their children are using multiple devices or social media platforms. This can make it difficult to enforce rules around social media use.
● Can Undermine Children's Sense of Responsibility:
If parents are monitoring their children's social media use too closely, it can undermine their sense of responsibility and independence. Children may start to rely on their parents to make decisions for them, rather than learning how to make good decisions on their own.
Conclusion
Monitoring a kid's social media is always a healthy activity for parents as it ensures their security and mental health. Its benefits include their safety and accountability.
It'll help you boost inter communication and setting boundaries for them. Having someone mature above kids also ensures their better mental health.
But if you have a look at it from a kid's perspective, it might lead you to some alarming ends. They might start distancing themselves as they sense broken trust there.
They might start keeping things inside them and won't talk about it anywhere. Best solution is to have nice communication with your children so they could share if any inappropriate thing pops up.