The answer to “Should parents monitor their children’s social media?” is not as straightforward as you think. At first, you might assume that there is nothing wrong with keeping an eye on your kid online. However, even if your intentions are pure, your kid will likely misinterpret them. They will feel suffocated and start finding ways to dodge your monitoring method. So, instead of snooping through their phones, you should find a different solution.
Usually, parental control tools are great in helping parents resolve such concerns. With these tools, your kid won’t feel like his privacy is being invaded. Moreover, they’ll be more keen to share their daily life with you. So, you can subtly direct them towards a better social experience while protecting them from predators online.
Should parents follow their children on social media?
Yes, you should follow your child on social media. Following them will show you most of their recent activities and interests. You’ll be able to educate them quickly about online dangers when you know their interest.
However, one thing here is that your kid can still hide stuff from you. It is best that you don’t meddle in every little thing. Instead, you should intervene only when you find something suspicious or potentially dangerous.
Following your kid will keep them accountable. They will be more motivated to stay in line. Moreover, you can also have a backup account (with a different name) following their activities. That way, when your kid starts hiding stuff from your personal account, you can double-check their activities with your backup. It might seem like a sketchy thing to do, but it is necessary.
One thing that I will point out here is that you need to be clear with your kids about why you’re following them. Otherwise, they will just assume that you’re being controlling or you don’t trust them. So, be open and share that you’re following them for their online safety. Hopefully, they won’t rebel or lash out.
Should parents monitor their children’s social media?
Again, Yes! Every parent should monitor their children’s social media. Now, I’ve seen some people say that it is intrusive. However, these people are just not aware of the dangers online. Every week, you’ll see a new case of an underage kid getting groomed by a predator online.
Social platforms have made it easier for strangers to contact your kid. While you can protect your kid from strangers pretty easily in real life, the internet can be tricky to manage. You’ll have to monitor which websites your kid visits, who they talk to, and how other accounts are approaching your kid.
Even if you have to go over your kids’ texts, it is much better than letting them become a victim. So, don’t hesitate to protect your kid online with some spy tools or parental control tools. There are too many fake accounts on these platforms. Groomers and predators can lure your kid outside to meet in real life. They can also extract their personal details.
However, your kid will lose your trust if you openly say that you’re monitoring your kid’s online activities. You’ll find them to be a lot more secretive, and they might even rebel by contacting strangers out of spite. So, just be cool and keep your kid safe from online bullies from a distance.
Whether to monitor children’s social media or not?
Now, there can be arguments for both aspects here. Some parents think that not monitoring their children will help their growth. The kids will be more independent, and they will tell the parents if they have any issues. Even though this is a valid point, these parents fail to realize that kids are often dumb. They don’t know the intention of a stranger who reaches out to them on social media platforms. So, even if you’ve taught your kids about online dangers, not monitoring their social media will only lead to security issues.
On the other hand, monitoring your kid can also raise issues in the family. When you monitor your kid’s every move, they will feel suffocated. This is especially true for over-controlling parents. So, if you’re in a similar situation with your kids, don’t invade their privacy. They will find ways to block your access, and you will have no means of protecting them.
All in all, I prefer to monitor my children. Fortunately, I’ve never had to intervene, but observing the kids greatly helps me. Without direct contact, I can easily direct my kids’ interest and steer them away from inappropriate content. So, if you think you won’t lose your cool by observing your kid online, monitoring them is a good idea.
What percentage of parents monitor their child’s social media?
Around 50 to 65 percent of parents monitor their child’s social media. A minority of parents among these individuals also use parental control tools to keep further their kids safe. So, you’re not alone in thinking you should monitor your child’s social media.
Several studies show that it is common for parents to peek at their kids’ social activities. You don’t have to think that you’re being too controlling. Instead, consider this action as an additional layer of protection for your kid. Hopefully, you’ll be able to decide to monitor your child that way.
Even if you’re unhappy with monitoring your kid directly, you can use parental control apps to filter content. These apps will give you notification alerts and app usage reports. So, you’ll know exactly how much time your kid spends on social media. Moreover, you can modify their bedtime or study times accordingly to manage their productivity.
How to monitor your kid’s social media?
Now, moving on to the main part about how you can monitor your kid’s social media. Ideally, installing a parental control like FlashGet Kids would be best. This application will let you monitor everything from text messages to calls and much more. The best thing about FlashGet Kids is that you can track notifications and mirror the target device’s screen. That way, you’ll be able to see everything your kid does on social applications.
There are Key features that will help you track your kid.
- Screen mirroring
- Notification alerts
- Location monitoring
- App activity details
- Screen time limits
If you’re only concerned with tracking your kids’ social activities, then the screen mirroring features are more than enough. You can also check the daily app usage and screen mirroring features to get a complete idea.
Here is a step-by-step guide on using FlashGet Kids to monitor children’s social media.
Step 1. Open the App Store and search for FlashGet Kids on the parent’s device.
Step 2. Go to https://flashget.kids on the kids’ device and hit download.
Step 3. Launch FlashGet Kids app on your phone and bind both of them together.
Step 4. Grant necessary permissions on the kids’ devices.
Step 5. Open the parent app and access the desired monitoring features.
You had to follow these steps to monitor your kid’s social media. Even if you’re still confused about “should parents monitor their children’s social media,” just try FlashGet Kids. You’ll get a free 3-day trial on this app. This trial will be more than enough to help you decide whether or not you wish to spend money on this application.
Note: The kids’ device might lose more battery when using this parental control application. So, if the target device has a poor battery situation, limit your use of screen mirroring features.
FAQs
What age should your parents stop checking your phone?
Ideally, your parents should stop or lessen their watch on your phone when you become a mid-teenager. I’d say around 15 is usually a good time for kids to become more independent.
Should parents control their activities on social media?
Yes, parents should control their activities on social media. It sets an example for the kids about how they should act and which things can be dangerous in the long term.
Does social media can affect a parent child relationship?
Yes, social media can affect a parent child relationship. It is common for kids to become distant when they interact with more people online. Sadly, these kids are not yet aware of stranger danger.
What age should parents allow social media?
You shouldn’t let your child around any social platform until they are teenagers. Even if your kid is throwing a tantrum, you should stand your ground and not allow social media apps.
What inappropriate content is on social media?
Explicit pictures and suggestive videos can be found on social media from different influencers. Moreover, there are also malicious links to adult websites that go unregulates on certain social platforms.
