Checking social networks with your children: is it a good idea or a bad idea?
Social networks are part of today’s life, nowadays, boys interact through their mobile phone …
Social networks are part of today’s life, nowadays, children interact through their mobile phone and it is increasingly difficult to meet their friends and the people who make up their social circle. This greatly complicates the task of fathers and mothers, who are less and less familiar with the lives of children.
The Internet offers great opportunities for everyone, the globalized world moves through the Internet and it is important that children know how to move through the cyber world. However, it is also essential that children receive a correct education regarding the cyber world. Since they are not exempt from dangers, even if they are sitting on the sofa at home looking at their mobile phone or any device with which they can use the Internet.
Social networks move at a dizzying pace, every day new ways of relating to each other are born through the Internet and children move in that world like a fish in water. For them, it is easy to run the networks without control, without being really aware of the dangers that lie behind the screen.
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SHOULD YOU CHECK YOUR CHILDREN’S SOCIAL NETWORKS?
As a mother or father, you may feel a great deal of conflict as to what your children’s privacy rights are . Many parents trust their children and do not feel the need to control and monitor what they do on the Internet. However, many times that trust turns out of control.
Reviewing the children’s social networks is a decision of each family, however, you must take into account certain legal and family aspects . On the one hand, the law protects the privacy of children from the moment of birth. They, in their ignorance, can make use of these rights to protect themselves from the curiosity of the parents.
But on the other hand, in your obligations as a father there is the protection of parental authority. This indicates that you should always act in favor of your children , respecting their personality and their physical and psychological integrity.
Now, it is one thing to make sure that your children make healthy use of social networks and another thing is to “gossip” what they do and say. The first part includes taking care of the children, ensuring that they do not perform dangerous acts and that they are not exposed to various dangers .
You can check the search history to know the internet usage of your children. What you should not do is install spyware, check their WhatsApp conversations or read their email. This can be considered an intrusion into their right to freedom , and as a parent, you must not break the trust of your children.
EDUCATION FOR A HEALTHY USE OF THE INTERNET
Boys in general are not aware of the dangers hidden by the Internet and social networks. They think they talk to trustworthy people, they think they talk to kids like them, good, healthy and wanting to have fun and meet people. But unfortunately, the nets have become a new source of harassment, a perfect place for predators hiding in search of new prey.
Therefore, it is essential that you educate your children so that they are able to make healthy use of social networks .
- Be careful with the photos that are uploaded to the Internet : It is very important for children to be aware that everything they upload to the Internet is stored on the Internet forever. They will never be able to delete it completely, deleting the search history or deleting a photo is never enough, because there is always a trace on the network . In addition, they must be careful not to show data that is easily recognizable, school uniforms, the facade of the house or the institute or any data that serves to locate the boy.
- They should never give personal data over the Internet : Even if they talk with friends through the chats on social networks, they should never provide data such as phone number, surnames, address where they live or the school they attend every day. Malicious people can take over anyone’s account , and that data is there for them.
- Under no circumstances should they meet a stranger : They may think that they are going to see boys their own age, but they do not know who they are really related to. It is very dangerous to go to this type of dating, since the predators hide in profiles of adolescents.
Without exaggerating and without obsessing over this topic, knowing the lives of your children never hurts. In the same way that you meet their friends and their classmates, you know where they move and where they usually spend their free time, you should know what they do on the Internet . Always respecting your privacy and without exceeding the limits of trust.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.