Is your child ready to safely be on social media? Discuss rules, guidelines, and consequences as a family before allowing them to take on this responsibility.
Parents and guardians may feel a huge amount of pressure to let young kids use social media, but it is smart to wait until children are in 8th grade or above. This extra time helps kids mature and can make it easier for them to avoid social media addiction.
Children might be ready to start using social media at different ages, depending on their behavior. Consider the answers to these questions to help determine if your child is ready for social media:
> Are they able to read social cues and do they have good impulse control?
> How sensitive are they to being criticized or rejected by other people?
> Does your child easily log off of electronic devices or do they struggle to disconnect?
Before allowing your child to use social media, have a conversation about guidelines and rules. Focus on one app at a time and see how your child handles the responsibility.
Supervise your child's account, their friend list, and the content they are viewing. Balance social media with other activities, like exercise, spending time with friends and family, or reading.
Talk to your child about the consequences of breaking the rules and guidelines that you have set. For example, if they break a rule, you may delete the app for a while.
Use parent controls on each social media platform. These settings vary depending on the app, but most can help you track your child's screen time, restrict what type of content they see, disable direct messages, and turn off or limit likes and comments.
If you are uncomfortable with your child having their own account, consider creating a joint account where you can both view and post content.
Social media can be harmful to children who have mental health issues like anxiety or depression. If your child interacts with upsetting, violent, or distracting images or videos, the app will show them even more of that type of content.
Talk to your child about their experiences, report harmful posts or messages, and offer mental health resources.
Do you have questions about social media safety?
Call our FREE Safety Store Helpline at 317-274-6565. You can talk live with our staff Monday-Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM about your safety questions.
childmind.org: When Are Kids Ready for Social Media?
988indiana.org: Indiana Suicide & Crisis Hotline
healthychildren.org: How to Help Prevent Cyberbullying
healthychildren.org: How to Talk to Children About Sexting
raisingchildren.net.au: Teens: Entertainment and Technology
instagram.com: Parental Guide for Teens on Instagram
tiktok.com: TikTok Guardian's Guide
