Secure Social Media for Underage Teens it’s important I feel your pain! You’re a parent, and I’m sure you want to protect your children from the many dangers of social media. One of the most important things we can do is get our kids to talk with us about how they use social media. It’s not just about teaching them what not to do (they’re capable enough to learn that much on their own,) but also about encouraging them to ask questions, learn how their profiles work, and understand how their posts impact others. That way, when they’re older, they’ll have some good habits in place that help keep them safe online.   1. Create a Dialogue, Not a Lecture. A good way to get your teen to use social media safely is to talk about what they want to do on social media and how they can use it in healthy ways. Talk about the consequences of their actions, including potential legal issues. Help them understand that just because something is published online does not mean it’s private—or even true!   2. Ground Rules and Consequences Establish ground rules and teach them about the consequences. The first step in teaching your teen how to use social media responsibly is establishing a set of rules for which content is okay and what will result in consequences if broken. Make sure these rules are clear, concise, and consistent—if you’re constantly changing the rules as your child grows up, they won’t learn how to make good decisions on their own. When establishing ground rules for your teenager’s social media usage: Set clear expectations for what is allowed on social media vs. what is not permitted by setting limits on content (e.g., no nudity) or behavior (e.g., no cyberbullying). Explain all possible consequences of breaking any of these limits (e.g., restrictions for using certain apps).     3. Keeping Track of Activities You should make talking to your child regularly a habit so that you know what they are doing online. Even if your teen is unaware of the dangers of connecting with strangers online and sharing personal information, you still need to communicate with them about their experiences. Secure social media for underage teens It’s also crucial for parents to keep track of their kids’ activities across different platforms by using parental control apps and tools.   4. Encourage Research Encourage them to Verify and Research before they download a new file, click on a link or add someone. If they are going to download a file, they should make sure it doesn’t contain harmful material like Malware (malicious software) that could damage their computer or steal personal information. Make sure they know how to use antivirus software if you have that installed on your computer or mobile device. Also, make sure the URL is correct before clicking on it; some URLs can look similar but have different outcomes that may harm your computer or put you at risk.   5. Set Boundaries Online A great place to start is by showing your kids how you use social media, what you think is acceptable as online behavior and how to report abuse or harassment. You can also help them understand the positive aspects of being online by encouraging them to join groups that share similar interests as well as develop their own profiles where they can express themselves. Finally, kids need to know when it’s time for a break from social media. If you notice your child is spending too much time on their phone or computer screen during meals and other family activities, then it might be time for an intervention about limiting screen time.     6. Use Parental Control Tools and Apps like Safes parental control, so you can easily Supervise and Manage your Child’s Online Presence.   One of the best ways to help your child manage their own social media accounts is to use parental control tools and apps. These can be set up, to monitor their online activity, set time limits, block certain sites and apps, and even monitor their browsing history — all easily accessible via a web browser or mobile app. This way, you can monitor what your child does on social media without having to pry into their phone or tablet. You may also want to consider blocking inappropriate content from appearing in your child’s feed by using one of these tools. You can easily do all those things and more by using Safes, our own Parental Control App made from scratch, to make your job more convenient and straightforward. It is the best family and kid-friendly, next-generation parental control app, with features like child’s digital activity report, screen time limiting, tracking child’s location, monitoring social media activities, providing a safe search on the Internet, web filtering, detecting inappropriate content.   Conclusion The internet is huge, and it can be hard to know what’s safe. That’s why it’s so important to talk with your kids about social media and make sure they understand their responsibilities as well as the consequences of their actions online. Remember that you are their first teacher when it comes to this new technology—and if you teach them well now, they’ll be able to take care of themselves well into adulthood.

Contrary to popular belief, the negative effects of social media on physical health are numerous. How can we counter these negative effects?