When Can Children Start Using Social Media?
What is the best age for children to start using social media? Social networks have become normal in adults’ everyday lives. In fact, most adults spend hours a day on it.
In addition to adults, it is not surprising to see children between two and three years old using smartphones, tablets and computers. In addition, children of eight or nine years also want to start using social media.
The Internet, and more specifically social networks, have many benefits for people. However, there are also many dangers that you may not be aware of. You should therefore ask yourself the following question: where should we draw the line?
That’s why we’re trying to help you with this controversial issue about when kids should start using social media.
Kids on social media
According to the UNICEF study “The State of the World’s Children 2017: Children in a Digital World,” one in three people who surf the Internet is a child.
More specifically, in the United States, there is no minimum age to use social networks. Every social network has a different age requirement. However, this still doesn’t determine when is the best age to start using social media.
Many parents use the excuse that their kids don’t have social media because they don’t have a cell phone, computer, or tablet to use.
Dear Parents: Today, not having electronic devices is not the problem. If your kid doesn’t have one, then one of his friends probably does. Moreover, creating an account on one of the well-known social media sites takes no more than five minutes.
We can therefore say that children will start using social media whenever they want to, with or without your permission.
Recommendations for when children should start using social media
After getting to know the reality that kids start whenever they want, we’ve got some tips for you. It is important to follow a few recommendations so that children start using social media in the least dangerous way and know how to use the internet safely.
Set a good example
We always say that children imitate everything they see. You should therefore lead by example before scolding your child for not using social media properly. Then you can help your child when he makes mistakes.
Explain the pros and cons
It is important that children know the various benefits of social media from the start. However, they also need to know the dangers.
Depending on the age of your kids, you can use real life examples of kids using social media to show them what can happen on the internet.
They should therefore make sure that they have a private account. Under no circumstances should their account be public.
Talk to your children so that they do not provide personal information through these networks. In addition, they are not allowed to add people or talk to people they do not know.
Limit times for when children can use social media
Children should not remain connected to their electronic devices. You should limit its use to when you think it is appropriate.
Many parents allow their children to use social media only on weekends. Others say they can only use it one hour a day, and others only one day a week. You can set any limit you like best.
Help your kids identify cyberbullying
In addition to explaining the pros and cons of social media, you should also mention the important issue of online harassment, more commonly known as cyberbullying.
Children should feel confident knowing that if they ever experience cyberbullying, they have the help and support of their parents. They also need to know that they will come to you immediately.
In short, there is no specific age for children to start using social media. You can’t really do much to stop them. However, you can teach them to surf the web and manage their social networks in a responsible and optimal way.
