Should parents monitor social media on children?

Even though many social platforms like Meta claim that they regulate content strictly, it is still common for people to find explicit things there. Now, you might not be against the idea of mature content on your profile, but it’ll scare any parent that their kid can be exposed to the same thing. For this reason, you’ll often come across people wondering, “Should parents monitor social media on children?”

If you’re a parent as well, the thought likely crossed your mind as well. I understand that people make an argument for both sides of the coin here. However, I still think it is better for parents to keep a close eye on their kids’ online activities. It is not any sort of invasion of your kids’ privacy but rather a precaution to keep them safe from strangers. Moreover, you’ll also be able to educate your kid about online dangers this way.

Should parents monitor social media on children?

It is hard to find a kid who is not on social media. Even the underage kids who aren’t even thirteen yet make fake accounts and log on to social websites like Omegle, Instagram, and FaceBook; you get the idea. Even though social websites are for thirteen and above (some are 18 and above), there is still an abundance of kids on all platforms.

Now, we all know that kids under 18 or 13 aren’t that sharp. They don’t know about the dangers that lurk on social platforms. On the other hand, strangers with malicious intent, like online predators, specifically target these kids for their personal information. Here are some more common issues your kid might face on social media.

• Cyberbullying
• Online predators
• Addiction
• Loss of privacy
• Exposure to inappropriate content

Out of all these, the situation with online predators and inappropriate content can be the most harmful for your kid. I don’t think there is anything worse than an adult preying on your kids’ innocence for their pleasure. Similarly, every parent wants to protect their kids from inappropriate and explicit content.

For these reasons, we can all agree that parents should monitor social media on children. There is no other way you can protect your kid. Even if you’re diligent in teaching your kids about online dangers, leaving them on their own is out of the equation. Instead, you will have to monitor their every move with a parental control app or a spy tool. That way, you’ll surely be able to direct their attention away from any potential dangers.

Pros and cons of parents monitoring social media

While there are some drawbacks to monitoring your child on social media, I still think that it is worth the risk. However, if you’re still unsure, here is a list of pros and cons to help you make the final decision.

These are some of the pros and cons that you need to consider. I understand that every family is different. However, the list above should give a rough idea of how you need to monitor your kids. Most probably, you’ll find that the pros far outweigh the cons. Moreover, you can also seek guidance from a school counselor if you’re confused.

Balancing privacy and protection

I won’t deny that things can go horribly wrong for parents when they try to monitor their kids. It is easy for your kids to assume you’re just being overprotective and invading their privacy. So, you’ll have to tackle this issue in a different manner. You can’t just outright demand that your kids show you their social profiles. Instead, you’ll have to make them understand why you (as a parent) are responsible for protecting them from online dangers.

It all comes down to how you communicate this situation with your kids. Independence is crucial for your kids to grow, and you can’t meddle in every little thing. Even when you’re monitoring your kids on social media, you should give them space. There is no need to act weird or intervene just because of a weird comment. Just let kids be kids and enjoy their time with friends.

Until you’re sure that your kid is in danger, you should just keep your distance completely. Don’t even bring up any topic about their social adventures at dinner. That way, they will still feel like they’re maintaining their privacy. Moreover, they will be less inclined to hide things from you.

Finding that sweet balance between privacy and protection can be hard. You’ll likely run into a few hiccups and fights with your kid in the beginning. However, as long as you communicate properly with your kid, they’ll come around the idea of social monitoring. Everything comes down to how you act while monitoring their social activities.

Lastly, you can let your kids feel secure in their privacy by using parental control applications. You will not have to ask your kid to show you their phones. Instead, you can check the parental control app for notifications, alerts, messages, and more.

How can parents protect their kids on social media with parental control apps?

FlashGet Kids is one of the most useful and discrete parental control apps you can use to protect your kids. Compared to other options, it is cheaper, offers more features, and you can easily install it on your kids’ phones yourself. There is no need to worry about hiring tech experts to help you with the installation. The FlashGet Kids app itself will guide you through each step of the way.

After binding the parent device with the kids’ devices, you can use the following features from FlashGet Kids.

• Screen time limits – This feature from FlashGet Kids allows parents to limit the number of hours their kids spend on their mobile phones. By setting timespan limits, your child will not be able to use their mobile more than the allowed hours. Moreover, you can even set up the weekly schedule. That way, your kid will have more time to spend on their phones on the weekend.
• App time limits – This feature allows parents to restrict certain apps (social apps in this case) from the child’s device. With app time limits, you can even set the limit of the social apps to 1 minute a day. However, I’ve found that setting it around an hour or two is not that bad for your kid’s social needs.
• Usage reports – This feature is great when you’re tracking your kids’ daily mobile usage. It shows you how much time your kid spent on the mobile phone in total. These details are necessary to help you better manage the app time limits or the screen time limits.
• Alerts and notifications – This feature is more like your personal assistant who monitors kids whenever they’re on their phones. It will give you alerts whenever your kids access inappropriate content, or their phone turns off. Moreover, you’ll also get alerts when your kids try to dodge the parental control application.

These are just some of the features that you will get from FlashGet Kids. It offers so much more in terms of location tracking and surroundings tracking. So, if you’re looking for a parental control solution for every tracking and monitoring need, FlashGet Kids is the only suitable option. You’ll only have to spend five dollars a month on its yearly plan to access all of its features.

Conclusion

If you were confused about “Should parents monitor social media,” you’ll have a decent idea about it now. Personally, I always recommend parents keep a close eye on their kids with FlashGet Kids. That way, you’ll be able to keep your kid safe from a ton of dangers like online predators, cyberbullies, and even groomers. Moreover, you can easily educate your kids about navigating the digital world.

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