Should you allow your kids on Social Media sites?

Parenting has never been this tough! With the Internet around in every nook and corner of your life, it becomes hard to shield your kid from things beyond their age. Every gadget from your TV to a mobile phone is now connected to the Internet which makes it hard for parents to monitor their kids all the time.

These days, children want to have a Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat account for themselves. One cannot blame them once since these are addictive even for us elders. In a growing age, these sites not only can cause addiction but also expose children to unnecessary elements that you cannot control. Most parents create a video blog channel on YouTube for their kids or even upload photos on Instagram. This can slowly turn into an obsession with kids of a young age who are highly susceptible to an idea.

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act mentions that it is illegal for Websites and Apps to allow kids below 13 to register. This is because most online platforms are open to marketing and children who do not have the maturity might be swayed before convincing by the powerful marketing techniques.

However, most children are smart enough to get past the basic “namesake” security these sites throw at them. It is a matter of giving their parent’s mail id and/or a false date of birth! Most times, parents themselves give consent for their kids to go online and have accounts.

So, how to safeguard your kid?

When you cannot deny your kid throwing a tantrum that he/she should be online, the least you can do is to make sure that they are safe online.

• Do not let them on unknown sites - You should be first aware of the site they are planning to join and know the privacy loopholes firsthand.


• Stay as private as possible – Do not let your child post public videos and rather keep it private to a known set of people or give access to only those with the link.


• Avoid geo-tagging – Teach your kid about location tagging and how not to use it as a child. If unknown people can know your location through your posts, it sure is scary!


• Teach moderation of social approval – Your kid should not be expecting social approval at a very young age. Also, teach them to block unknown people who are offending.

The Internet could be an informative place if used right. Teaching your kid about the benefits and explaining them the harms could be productive for everyone.