Learn How to Monitor Social Media Conversations of Your Teens

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Social media has taken our lives in a way that we don’t see. We have gotten used to its notifications, posts, comments, and many more things. We can hardly take our eyes off the screen when using social media. It is affecting our physical and mental health. It is affecting our kids and teens more than us. We, as adults, know how to use social media the smart way, and how to stay away from its dangers. But, can we say the same about the kids? 

The minute kids start having access to the internet and social media, they enter this glittery world where everything seems so nice and new. They learn different things like how people post, how they make comments, and what is in the trend. They make new relationships there and in no time, they get serious with them. That’s where the danger enters their lives and they know very little about it. Parents are concerned about these dangers that teens don’t know yet. That’s why there is a dire need to monitor social media conversations of teens. 

Dangers of Social media

Around 70% of kids are online at any time of the day on social media. What do you think they are doing? You see them using social media when they are eating, watching TV, in a family meeting, and even when they are supposed to sleep. Why are they so much indulged in it? What are they doing? These questions might have crossed your mind several times. 

Social media is filled with the glittery world and it opens the gates to various things for kids. In no time, you see your kid getting addicted to its use. It is because of how people have been presenting their lives there, how they are attracting kids there, and how the kids see nothing but fun there. But, is it all fun? Let’s take a look at some of the dangers associated with the use of social media:

·Cyberbullying

Long gone are the times when bullying was restricted to school playgrounds only. Now, kids take it to any level they can and that includes social media too. They call each other names, post inappropriate things about each other, and often cross several limits to just humiliate the other person. This name-calling and cyberbullying have gotten so much serious that kids have even tried to commit suicide because of the embarrassment they face. 

·Predators

Online predators are lurking around social media in search of innocent kids who can easily fall into a trap. They attract the kids, make them feel like they understand them more than anyone, get connected to them, and then make them do the inappropriate things. They can even make the kids share their personal information like home addresses, phone number, and credit card information with them. Later they use the same information against the kids to blackmail them. 

·Social Media Addiction

Social media addiction has a direct effect on the mental health of teens. Kids are even seen looking at their mobile phones, again and again, to see if there are any notifications for them. They get so much addicted to it that they even use it under their blankets when they are supposed to sleep. This addiction has made parents worried about the health of their kids as it is affecting their eating and other habits. 

·Depression

Social media is a glittery world where everyone poses like they have a perfect life. This is what gets into the head of kids. They don’t realize what is true and what is not. The only thing they know is that the life others are living is way better than theirs. They often try to copy their lifestyle which is just a manifestation of filters and lies. But, in the end, when they are unable to adapt that, they fall into depression. They feel like they have nothing good in their lives and that they shouldn’t be living it like this. This depression can go worse and make them do things that they regret later. 

·Invasion of Privacy

If you have left your kids with social media at the very start, they might not know how to make their accounts properly. They don’t know how to keep things private, what to show, and what to not. They don’t know what should they post and what should be avoided. This is when others get the chance to invade the privacy of your kid without their knowledge. If kids are not taught well about their privacy over social media, they might get involved in pretty bad things as strangers are lurking around social media just to trap such sort of kids. 

Why You Should Monitor Social Media Conversations of Kids?

The dangers mentioned above can justify social media monitoring well. You must know by now how important it is to make sure your kids are safe and secure regardless of their exposure to social media. 

Online predators, strangers, and other dangers often approach the kids through the inbox. Their conversations must be monitored to see what others are saying to them in the inbox section. This is where the strangers make them believe that they are their own and where all so-called romantic relationships are started which then later becomes regret for them. Kids might not see it coming but you can.

How to Monitor Social Media Conversations?

If you think it is necessary to make sure they are safe in their conversations, you can get help from a parental control app. SecureTeen is one of the best parental control apps out there that allows you to monitor the social media of your kids. It even allows you to manage their screen time whenever necessary. You can also monitor their call and messages logs through the app. So, get help from SecureTeen today and ensure your kids’ safety. Also, have a good conversation with them about the dangers of social media to make sure they know that you are on their side.

Reference Articles:

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/social-networking-sites-online-gaming-and-keeping-children-safe-online

https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safety-tips/Pages/Talking-to-Kids-and-Teens-About-Social-Media-and-Sexting.aspx

https://www.secureteen.com/social-media/social-media-and-depression