There are plenty of good things about social media, for example, it keeps families and friends connected, exposes people to other people who share their interests, lets you communicate with educators and other students, and enhances creativity by sharing ideas, music, and art.
But there are also many risks and things kids and teens should avoid. They don't always make good choices when they post something to a site, and this can lead to problems. Photos, videos, and comments made online usually can't be taken back once they're posted. Even when a teen thinks something has been deleted, it can be impossible to completely erase it from the Internet. “The world runs on social media. And kids need to learn how to use it safely, responsibly, and respectfully.” (Elgersma, 2018) With all of this in mind, it’s time to interview a 12-year-old about her desire for social media. Interview: What app(s) do you want to use and why? Tik Tok and Instagram. Because Tik Tok is fun and I enjoy watching it. Instagram, because I have a lot of fun pictures of myself and I have nowhere to put them. I also use Pinterest; I look at photos and save things. What kinds of communication don't belong on social media? Anything inappropriate, anything rude or mean. What is the purpose of social media? To have fun. To inspire you. I don’t honestly know. To communicate with people. What if your friend posts an inappropriate picture or video? Would it be hard to not do it, too? If she got positive comments, how would that feel? I would never do that. I would talk to them about it. I would tell them it wasn’t ok, and if they did it again, I would block them so I wouldn’t have to see it. What do you think are good things to keep in mind before you post something? Would my parents be ok with me posting this? Is this inappropriate? Would it affect anyone else? Do you know what to do if someone is mean, harasses you for pictures, stalks you, or does anything else that feels sketchy? Tell my parents and block them immediately. What might bum you out about social media, and what can you do about it? Nothing really. I understand if someone’s photos are liked more than mine, it isn’t going to affect me in any way though. I’m not that type of person. I don’t want to be famous, I’m not a person who has to be the winner of everything. Would you accept a friend request from a person you don’t really know? I would check with Anna to see if she knew the person. If she knew the person then I would accept it. If she didn’t know the person, I would decline it. But I wouldn’t accept a request from an online only friend of a friend. What should our limits be around how much and how often you're using social media? In my opinion I should be allowed at least an hour on each app. Cause then I get that done for the day and I only have so much time for social media and I would have to use it wisely. As we move forward after this discussion it will be time to put together a social media agreement, a real contract we can sign. In it, she will agree to protect her privacy, consider her reputation, and not give out personal information. She must also promise not to use technology to hurt anyone else through bullying or gossip. Finally, she will give us access to her social media accounts (usernames, passwords) to allow spot checks. In turn, we will agree to respect her privacy while making an effort to be part of the social media world but will definitely continue to keep limits on her phone use (and thereby her social media use). Resources for this blog post: Elgersma, Christine. (July 16, 2018). What to ask when your child wants to use social media. Common Sense Media. Retrieved on July 18, 2020 from https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/16/health/child-parenting-social-media-partner/index.html Soeth, Matt. (24 April 2019). Questions for You and Your Child About Social Media. Family Online Safety Institute. Retrieved on July 18, 2020 from https://www.fosi.org/good-digital-parenting/questions-you-and-your-child-about-social-media/ Tartakovsky, Margarita. (8 Jul 2018). 25 Questions for Discussing Tech Use with Your Teen. Psych Central. Retrieved on July 18, 2020 from https://psychcentral.com/blog/25-questions-for-discussing-tech-use-with-your-teen/ Comments are closed.
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