Wellbeing

Should my child be on Social Media?

Parents can sometimes feel the pressure of ‘nagging’ from their children to allow them on social media or to perhaps buy a device such a mobile phone as they head into Year 7. This nagging can be especially difficult when younger siblings are in a hurry to copy older brothers or sisters. Devices can be an important educational tool and social media can also be a fun way for your child to stay connected with others. However, the downsides are all too commonly reported in the media.

Signing up to a social media service.

If you allow your child to sign up to a social media service you may wish to consider the following points:

1. Research the ‘terms of use’ and age requirements on social media and then explain these to your child. Most social media services and apps require users to be 13 years old to join. The link below provides an age guide for all the common social media services.https://www.esafety.gov.au/education-resources/iparent/staying-safe/social-networking/is-there-an-age-limit-for-kids-on-social-media
2. Show your child how to use privacy settings to control what others can see.
3. Maintain open communication with your child so that they feel safe talking to you about any concerns.
4. Create an account yourself and find out what your child is likely to encounter (I have just joined snapchat much to the horror of my eldest son)
5. Encourage your child to respect others online and to always think before posting.

Too much time on a device

There is no guideline for the ‘right’ amount of time for children to spend online and the number of hours that children and young people spend online can vary significantly. However, if their online activity appears

to impact negatively on their behaviour or wellbeing, or that of the family, it may be time to discuss expectations and establish time limits. The longer you wait to address the issue, the more difficult it can be to overcome. So if you see an emerging problem arising from excessive use, act on it right away. Strategies that may help include:

1. Consider implementing family agreements about the amount of time your children can spend online or limit access to the devices they use. If this fails go for the dictatorship option.
2. Install a program on their device which can be adjusted to limit the amount of time an internet connection will be avaible on that device.
3. Model good behaviours with your kids around their use of devices eg.  Limit your use until after they have gone to bed.
4. Only allow device use in areas that you can easily monitor and away from bedrooms.

Emma Bylsma

Head of Student Wellbeing