That’s especially true when your kids want a social media account. With how toxic some platforms can be, this is something you’ll want to protect them from. Over time, however, they could convince you to let them do it.

You shouldn’t just leave them to it, though. Depending on their age, you might want to take a few steps to help them with the process. It’ll end up helping you look after them and make sure they’re safe online.

Kids Want A Social Media Account: 5 Steps To Take

1. Be A Role Model

You’ll already be on social media, and that could be part of the reason why your kids want a social media account. When that happens, it’s always worth being a role model for them. You’ll already want to do this in multiple other ways, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t do it with this, too.

Show them how you use social media and what the right thing to do with it is. Screen time can have a negative impact, so if you find yourself on social media apps for too long then perhaps putting time limits on may reduce your usage. The more positive of a role model you are in this way, the less you should have to worry about when your kids are on social media.

2. Educate Them

You’ll have to use your own judgement when your kids want a social media account. If you decide to let them, it’s always worth educating them about social media first. They could have a particular image in their minds that mightn’t exactly match up with reality. They’ll have to be aware of it, though.

While you shouldn’t focus exclusively on the negatives, make your kids aware of them. The more educated they are about social media use, the better able you can prevent them from stumbling across anything they shouldn’t. You - and them - will be better off because of it. Honesty is the best policy and informing them of how to keep safe as well as what to do if they feel like they are in danger is important. Make sure they understand they can always come to you for advice.

3. Know About Hacks

Social media profiles are prime targets for hacks, which is one of the largest worries you’ll have about your child being online. It could expose them to attacks, and they could have their personal information leaked. Nobody wants that to happen, so make sure you and your child know about the potential for hacks.

If your child has a Facebook or Instagram account hacked, take appropriate action quickly. Report the hack and change passwords for other profiles if they’re the same. It’ll make sure you shouldn’t have anything to worry about with cyberattacks.

4. Look For Patterns

While you could want to hover over your child’s shoulders as they use social media, that could be overbearing. It’s often best to give them some autonomy over what they’re doing. It doesn’t mean just leave them to it without giving it a second thought, however. A great way for children to start using social media is on a device like a PC that is in an open space at home, like the living room. Look for patterns to figure out if anything’s going on, such as secrecy, excessive use, or behavior changes.

How your child behaves could give a general indication of what’s happening, so spend some time studying their behavior. If anything’s unusual about how they act, then it could be worth talking to them about it. Use their behavior pre-social media as a guide for how they usually behave.

5. Remember It’s Not All Bad

People have heard countless horror stories about social media and events that went wrong with it. It’s natural to only think of these when your kids want a social media account. While these events can be prominent in your mind, it doesn’t mean they happen all that regularly.

Instead, they could be a lot rarer than you’d expect. Depending on the platform, everything could be a lot more positive than you’d first think. Keep that in mind when your child asks you about it. You could even put in parental restrictions and similar measures to make sure that’s the case.

Kids Want A Social Media Account: Wrapping Up

When your kids want a social media account, it’s natural to feel a little anxious about it. They could be exposed to countless things, and you might feel like you’ve no control over any of it. Since a lot of this can be toxic and damaging, you might want to make sure they don’t set one up at all.

Despite that, your kids could be persistent and wear you down. By taking a few steps, you can make sure they’re safe on social media, so you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.