It’s hard to imagine a world without social media. There is no denying that social media has become a huge part of human life and culture. Social media is a great way to keep in contact with people you care about, hear the latest news, find about events in your areas, and even help you to find a job. But as we know everything in this world has two sides, one is bright and another is dark. Like there is a dark side of social media too. In a world where it is easy to share our private information with people, we didn’t intend to share with. This is especially scary when thinking about your teens. Being a teen or a parent of a teen is difficult enough, but social media can make it even scarier.

You can consult our Social Media Counselor online by booking your appointment on www.myfitbrain.in or contact us on 90502-32637.

A recent study by the American Academy of Social Media found that using social media is among the most common activities for today’s children and young adults. According to their study 22 percent of teenagers logging into their favorite social media sites more than 10 times a day. Here we defined social media as social media websites such as Facebook, Instagram; gaming sites such as Club Penguin; video sites such as YouTube; blogs, and apps such as Snapchat. This study also found that social media use by teens had both positive and negative effects on their emotional and social growth. Parents on the one hand want to respect the boundaries of their teens, they want to give their growing child freedom to make and learn from their own mistakes. But when it comes to online safety, social media has its own unique set of problems for teenagers.

These days, it is a very important topic among parents. “How to protect your growing children from social media?”If you feel you need kind of help you can contact our Parent Coach online or you can book an appointment on www.myfitbrain.in.  Let’s be honest, almost every parent have their own social media accounts. But not every parent involved in social media, that why it is harder for them to because they aren’t raised on social media. Parents should make sure that their children are using social media in positive ways.

During a session in Bethel Elementary School in Simpsonville, Rock Floyd showed some videos to a small crowd of parents which shows that how quickly and easy it is to find information about young people online. Cyber Crime Department explained to parents that they used to make arrests daily, capturing predators that used the internet to target teens. A lot of times they find a lot of pictures come from the internet, that some from Facebook and other social media sites, that pictures might look innocent to you when you post them but there are so many predators how can misuse your pictures. Mostly all teenagers use so many other social media accounts. Some of the parents will be surprised to know that their children have social media accounts on the sites from which they are not familiar.

 Here is a list of some of the most popular social media networking sites used by teenagers:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Snapchat
• Instagram
• G+ (Google accounts)
• Tumbler
• Meetme
• Happen

And many more…..

What parents can do to keep their teens safe on social media?

• Parents should openly communicate with their teens. It is most important that your child feels safe and comfortable to share their thoughts with you because the fear of punishment can result in the dispatched and disloyal behavior of your child. Be friendly to your child.
• Get to know the social networks your teen is using like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat. Common Sense Media is a good source of information for keeping up with the latest social media networks and advice from experts on how to approach your teens with difficult topics such as sexting and cyberbullying. For any kind of help, you can contact us online at www.myfitbrain.in
• Keep computers in a public location such as in the drawing-room, rather than in their bedroom. It may be a good idea to routinely check the computer and phone history of your child.
• Check the privacy setting on your teen’s social network. Make sure these are set so that only family can see their profiles, particularly their photos and their location.
• Teach your teen to protect their password. Stress the importance of never sharing their password with anyone, even a close friend or sibling. Have them construct a complicated password that is difficult to guess, using numbers, symbols, and capital and lower-case letters.
• If your child is old enough to use a computer in their own way. You should apply some ground rules and guidelines on their behavior allowed on social media, as well as the amount of time spent on social media.
• You don’t need to be super strict and spy on your teen’s every online move, but it is important to be aware of the kinds of sites he or she is frequently using. You should know about the friends they used to hangout.
• Teach your teen about cyberbullying and respecting others. Sit down with your teen and talk about what language is appropriate online. Encourage your teen to report cyberbullying posts, and talk to a trusted adult if someone they know is cyberbullying or being bullied.
• Teach your teen to not engage in “sexting”. Tell your teens not to share sexually explicit photos or texts. Address them the consequences of sharing such kind of pictures and texts. Make sure to talk openly to your teens about his, but remain friendly. So that your child feels comfortable talking to you.

For any such kind of help, feel free to consult our therapists or counselor online or by booking an appointment at www.myfitbrain.in. We are happy to help you!!!!!