How do I sensor my baby sister from the harms of social media??

[Pikkasso]

Hello everyone, I have a very sensitive issue I would like to get opinions and answers from this group, I have a younger sister age 13 and she is getting inducted into the social media with or without our consent.. She is still in secondary school, about to take her external exams and it's been a bit of concern for us concerning her exposure to the social media world..

We have a family rule that no social media till you are 16, we believe that you should at least be mature enough to know the difference between a friendly conversation and a hostile one..

But to our greatest surprise, she already has two (2) social media accounts which she opened in school and it's more of a trauma for my parents to come to terms with that fact , she is the only girl and we are actually looking for a way to lecture her . Since she already has the account and she could open it behind our knowledge, she could do it again.. Although we went through the chats and found nothing wrong in it .. we still want to make sure she is completely groomed on the dangers of social media, please I am open to logical solutions.. thank you 🙏

 

[Jasz]

The internet is a vast and wonderful place, but it can also be a scary one for kids and teens. According to Common Sense Media, kids between 8 and 18 spend an average of nine hours a day using media, and 78% of that time is spent on digital devices. This number is only going to increase as technology advances. So, how do we protect our little ones from the dangers of the internet while still allowing them to take advantage of all its benefits? The first step is to have an open conversation with your kids about the dangers of the internet. Let them know that there are people out there that can harm them. Let them know there are things they shouldn't be doing this time.

However, there are apps that can monitor their activities or restrict them from entering some websites if they make several attempts after the warnings you will get to know.

The last resort is to take the phone from them, you can take their sim and let them play video games and watch kids movies. You can allow them access the internet for educational purpose provided you will guide them during the process.

 

[Pikkasso]

The internet is a vast and wonderful place, but it can also be a scary one for kids and teens. According to Common Sense Media, kids between 8 and 18 spend an average of nine hours a day using media, and 78% of that time is spent on digital devices. This number is only going to increase as technology advances. So, how do we protect our little ones from the dangers of the internet while still allowing them to take advantage of all its benefits? The first step is to have an open conversation with your kids about the dangers of the internet. Let them know that there are people out there that can harm them. Let them know there are things they shouldn't be doing this time.

However, there are apps that can monitor their activities or restrict them from entering some websites if they make several attempts after the warnings you will get to know.

The last resort is to take the phone from them, you can take their sim and let them play video games and watch kids movies. You can allow them access the internet for educational purpose provided you will guide them during the process.

Thank you very much, that was very very thoughtful and useful.. I would put that into practice

 

[libertasbella]

Such a difficult question. Prohibit her from accessing social media altogether and she'll become a social pariah – and resent you for it. Teach her that social media is a trap – absolutely fake, and ultimately just an insidious form of advertising. If she can appreciate it for what it is, she can enjoy it without jeopardizing her mental health.