Guest post

With the increasing usage of social media and the internet, more and more children are fascinated with the possibilities of being on social media. Even though social media is not entirely bad, certain dangers are attached to it. Additionally, it is important to note that social media users may be unaware of the dangers of longer screen time.

ExpressVPN’s survey states that the average screen time for young children has been increasing in recent years, and some 4-year-olds spend over 21 minutes on social media daily. These issues should not be taken lightly, but parents can take preventive measures to help children avoid dangers while using social media.

The dangers of social media

Be it social media platforms like Instagram or YouTube, or other websites that exist on the internet, nothing is entirely safe for young children to use. Even though the internet can be equally dangerous for adults, they are usually more aware of its dangerous side than younger generations.

Younger children, on the contrary, may be unaware of these issues or incapable of handling dangerous situations on social media. However, other than the various issues that make social media problematic, it is also a fact that increased screen time can be equally problematic for children.

How to manage screen time for children

Young children face multiple dangers on social media. There have been increasing cases of cyberbullying and internet trolling and younger generations are more prone to having long-lasting impacts due to such issues. Additionally, predatory activities are also quite common on the internet, so it is advised to watch children’s internet activity.

Besides the various dangers of using social media, it is also important for parents to manage screen time for children. Parents should have a healthy discussion with young children about the issues they can face if they are constantly on their phones. Other than sight issues, children can also feel isolated and may become addicted to spending time on social media. That is why it is better to teach them how to minimise screen time and show them alternate ways to spend their time.

The use of parental controls on all devices and sites that are within the house will allow parents to not only monitor the screen time of their children but will also help them protect their kids from any inappropriate content. An interesting way to reduce screen time for children could be by introducing screen-free zones within the house. Parents should also keep in mind that they will have to make a collective effort to reduce their own screen time so that their children can use that as an example.

It can be easier to reduce screen time for kids if things are discussed with them openly. It will benefit parents if they can freely discuss why children need to reduce screen time and how they should manage their internet activities.

Conclusion

Parents can try to minimise screen time for their children in many ways. The internet is useful for children and they may not be completely restricted from using it. However, parents must remember that unrestrained internet access can lead to severe problems for children. Additionally, too much screen time can have many negative effects, so it is beneficial to monitor the screen time for children.

This article was submitted by Express Technologies Ltd, Tortola, with editing by Kidspot NZ.

The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by Kidspot NZ of the website, information, products or services contained therein. All views are those of the author.

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