Understanding the digital landscape & your
CHILDREN By Jessica Humphreys
C
hildren are growing up in a technologically fuelled world everything they do will have some connection to the internet and as a parent it’s hard to keep up.
We’ve addressed some of the questions we are commonly asked by parents below: WHAT AGE SHOULD I LET MY CHILD HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT? This depends on the individual child, their maturity and their experience within the digital landscape. As a parent, it’s important to make sure you have regular and open conversations with your kids about the Internet and social media. Whilst discussing dangers and how to handle them is important, it’s also worth discussing the many benefits that the Internet can provide. Instilling fear in your children could discourage them from talking to you if they do face situations that make them uncomfortable or that they may perceive as dangerous for fear that you won’t let them online. Facebook, What’s App, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat all requires users to be 13 and over and even LinkedIn allows users to sign up from the age of 14. However, this doesn’t mean that children won’t sign up anyway using false information.
If you are going to permit your children to use a social networking site follow these helpful tips: •It’s your responsibility to ensure that you have a good understanding of the platform and how it works. •Depending on the age of your child it may be worth having them login on a communal iPad or computer so you can keep an eye on their activity. •Make sure that their account is private and that they can’t be found in a public search. •Connect with your child, follow them on Snapchat, make sure you are friends with them on Facebook but respect their privacy. If you see something that concerns you bring it up in a face-to- face discussion as opposed to commenting in a public space where you may embarrass them. •Do your research. Some applications like YouTube have a
dedicated version just for children - www.kids.youtube.com continued.... 18
Peninsula Kids – Winter 2017