Social media is a very important socialization tool in the lives of young people. Like anything, they are unfortunately not without danger. Therefore, it is the role of parents to supervise their child’s use of these platforms.

Parental controls and managing screen time

The most popular platforms offer the possibility to activate parental controls on a child’s account. To activate it, the parent must have an account on the same social network, and the child must then accept the invitation on their account. Parental control varies from one network to another. Depending on the network, it can limit the time a child spends on the app, restrict access to certain content, allow the parent to see who is following their child’s account, see who they have talked to, and view or manage their privacy settings. The steps to install parental controls on a platform, as well as what it allows you to do, are easily available online.

Moreover, some smartphones offer the possibility to manage the device usage time of their child and to restrict access to certain applications. This feature first requires a connection between the child’s phone and the parent’s phone, and then control is performed in the settings. One thing is certain, no parental control prevents content from being posted. It is therefore important to educate young people about what they should or should not publish.

Risk prevention and safety

To prevent risks associated with fake profiles of malicious users, it is advised that young people only accept friends or followers they know in real life (such as friends from school or their sports team). Additionally, properly configuring privacy settings can limit access to your child’s posts by controlling who can see them.

Some social networks, like Snapchat, allow you to geolocate your child. It is important to disable this function when creating the account to prevent all followers from knowing their real-time location.

Publication consequences and modeling responsible behavior

As parents, we must also be aware that what we post online about our children can have consequences. A parent whose social media accounts are public and who has been posting photos and videos of their child since birth may inadvertently expose them to cyberbullying and privacy risks. It is important to remember that what is posted online can remain there forever, despite our attempts to delete it.

Parents are role models for their children. They must therefore be mindful of their own social media usage. A parent who uses social media prudently and respectfully and demonstrates a healthy balance of screen time can more easily convince their child to do the same.

Communication and parental support

Explaining to your child the motivations behind our desire, as parents, to supervise what happens on social media can help them feel less monitored and more supported, thus fostering a sense of security.

Resources for parents

Tel-jeunes Parents is there for you! To listen, to reflect on your situation, or to make known the services and resources available for your teen.