Social media is a minefield of dangers for teenagers, exposing them to extreme content such as “anorexic slimming”, drug culture, hard porn, glorification of suicide and even predatory grooming. Algorithms push the darkest corners of the internet right onto their screens, sometimes with devastating consequences.
With pressure mounting from Washington, DC and outraged parents, social media platforms are finally starting to act. They are rolling out much-needed tools to help monitor children’s online activity, providing control over what teens are exposed to so that you, as a parent or guardian, can look after their health and safety mental.
Know Instagram settings
From Family Center, you can see how much time your teen spends on the app (but not what they’re doing). You can set daily time limits and set schedules to put the app into “sleep mode” so they don’t receive notifications.
It starts with an invitation: In the Instagram app, tap your profile picture (bottom right), followed by the menu button (top right), and then Family Center to bond with your teen. They can do this from their end, too, by choosing Oversight from the same menu.
Two way street: You can set strong rules or simply issue warnings on Instagram when your child has gone beyond their limits. They may also require more time on the application, so be prepared for some negotiation.
Put ‘you’ on YouTube
You can’t see what your teen watches on YouTube or set time limits, but you can can get alerts when they start a live stream or upload a new video. You can also see who subscribes and comments on their videos.
Connect: Open the YouTube app on your phone, tap your profile picture (bottom right), followed by the gear icon (top right), and select Family Center. touch Invite a teenager to ask to supervise your child’s YouTube account.
Keep communicating: This won’t work unless you talk to your teen about it and explain how it keeps them safe. They can kick you out of their account whenever they want, so you may have to rely on your diplomatic skills on a regular basis.
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Limit chats on Snapchat
You can’t see your teen’s Snapchat messages or private photos and videos (which is probably for the best), but you can see who they’re friending and talking to the most over the past seven days.
Join your teen: From the Snapchat app on your phone, make sure you’re friends with your teen. Next, tap your profile picture (top left), followed by the settings gear icon (top right) and Family Center to establish the parent-child relationship.
Taking more control: There’s also a switch for limiting your teen’s access to content labeled “sensitive” in Stories and the Spotlight section of Snapchat. Additionally, you can disable your teen’s access to the AI bot within Snapchat.
Action plan for parents
Remember when you had a fake driver’s license or told a little white lie to get what you wanted? Kids have ways around parental controls and know how to spin the birth year wheel when signing up to bypass age restrictions.
◾ Have the passcode on their phones: You need access to everything, anytime. Make this non-negotiable if you pay for their phones. Even if you don’t check, your child knowing you can is a good deterrent for risky behavior.
◾ Set limits: Use built-in app controls to monitor their time spent in apps and tools like content filters to limit their exposure to inappropriate material.
◾ “Friend” or “Follow” them: Stay connected on social media to see their circle and interactions. Without open dialogue, they will find ways around you.
◾ Learn about finstas: “Finsta” is slang for a fake Instagram account, and more than 50% of high schoolers have them. It’s a space where kids post unfiltered photos and opinions.
Talk to your child
I have been open and honest with my son about the dangers of social media and the internet from an early age. I didn’t do this to scare him, but to explain why I had certain rules. Knowing why it made it feel more like we were on the same team. If you need help, get our free Technical Contract for Kids.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Learn about all the latest technology on the Kim Komando Show, the nation’s largest weekend radio show. Kim takes calls and gives advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacking. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website.