Social media has become deeply ingrained into our lives. Furthermore it is something that your child may have already been exposed to. YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are all examples and ones that you may even use yourself. While they are great for staying in touch with friends and family, they can be harmful to children. Consequently, your children should be taught how to stay safe online and use them responsibly. Here are some points that Cardiff Sixth Form College put together to help.

Mindful of Posting

Posting on social media allows you to update your nearest and dearest with what you’ve been doing and share your thoughts. They can all form a digital record which others are able to access, including strangers and potential employers.

While it may seem harmless, they can cause offence and portray a negative image. Which is why it’s important to be mindful of what you share and who has access to it. This can just as easily be corrected by reviewing what the public and mutual friends are able to see.

Safety

A bigger issue is safety. Now thanks to advanced tools, we are able to share our live locations. Especially check ins and location tags. Unfortunately, this kind of information can fall into the wrong hands which is why it’s important to teach children about oversharing.

Screen time

Being on your phone 24/7 isn’t good as we know. Spending 2 hours or more behind a screen can affect our brain’s ability to think and compute information and over time spending as long as 7 hours can thin the brains’ cortex. For their health and success at school, it’s important that your child is conscious of this. If they are unable to cut down on their usage themselves, there are app restrictions that you can put in place which block them from using the platforms once their daily limits have been reached.