How Parents Can Protect Their Kids in the Age of Social Media

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The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.

Concerns over internet privacy and security are mounting, and one of the most vocal groups is parents. Back in the day, the biggest concern parents had about their kids’ online lives was whether they would be interacting with strangers and that their children’s online interactions would be safe.

Unfortunately, these concerns are still prevalent. On top of this, parents have an array of worries to add to the list. Facebook Inc. FB recently made headlines when the company’s own internal research revealed the social media giant’s harmful mental health effects — especially on teen girls.

Social media usage in kids and teens has been linked to increased levels of anxiety, depression, and other psychological concerns. Hours spent scrolling on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat SNAP could also make them more susceptible to future health problems and serve as a gateway to other harmful side effects.

To make matters worse, social media is becoming more and more addictive. It’s interfering with children’s academics and some say is even going so far as to divide them from their peers and their communities.

Complex algorithms are designed to keep users fixated on the screen. Oftentimes, that entails showing content that’s bound to generate an emotional reaction — and not always a positive one. Social media algorithms are increasingly pushing extreme content, including hate speech, toxic communication, and polarizing political material.

It’s safe to say parental concerns on children’s social media usage are warranted, and a solution is long overdue. 

How Parents Can Keep Their Children Safe in an Increasing Digitalized World

Despite social media’s detrimental effects on kids and teens, it’s unlikely online platforms will go away — at least not anytime soon. Our lives are increasingly reliant on social media to stay connected with one another and the larger world.

So how can parents keep kids safe in an increasingly digital world? There’s no miracle solution, but implementing these strategies can help: 

1. Ban social media? 

You could always ban social media usage outright — at least until your child hits a certain age. While this strategy may work best for protecting your child, it can also be difficult to enforce. It’s unlikely your child will be agreeable and you may find yourself in a constant struggle. Additionally, banning social media does little to prepare users for life online when they do reach an appropriate age.

2. Limit social media usage.

Another option is to set a time limit for social media usage or ban certain apps. This can help your child avoid or mitigate social media addiction and maintain a healthier balance and decrease their reliance on social media to stay connected. 

3. Communicate.

Social media isn’t real life. Unfortunately, this isn’t always clear to kids and other impressionable minds. Communicating to your child the various harms of social media and how most online content is warped is imperative. Make sure they understand that life is never as glamorous as it appears on Instagram and the world isn’t as scary as their Facebook feeds would suggest. 

4. Switch to safer social media. 

Not all social media platforms are created equally. If you’re planning on introducing your children to social media, make sure it’s in a safe setting where you can maintain control. Grom Social Enterprises Inc. GROM has recently made headlines by stating that it is the latest social media platform designed with both parents and kids in mind. 

Grom Social: Social Media That’s Safe for Kids?

Grom Social attempts to offer kids all the traditional benefits of social media while still giving parents full control. In order to sign up, all children must have parental approval. Grom says that you can connect your child’s Grom account to your parental account where you’ll be able to monitor what your child is posting publicly in the app or sharing privately with friends.

Grom Social states that it allows kids to connect with each other in a safe, shielded environment. Kids are free to create videos, paint doodles, share posts, comment, chat and engage with their friends. It can be a great way for kids to be creative and connect with their peers while staying protected from the biggest dangers of social media.

To learn more about Grom Social go to https://gromsocial.com/#intro.

The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.