HELP FOR THE FAMILY | RAISING CHILDREN
Children and Social Media—Part 1: My Child Must Use Social Media?
In one interview they had with plenty young people, almost all them say they can use social media. Your child really want use social media too? If that what they want do, here five things for you to think on.
In this article
How your child will use his time
One website they call HelpGuide say that, “They made social media in the way that it can catch your attention and keep you on the internet. And it can even make you to keep checking your phone or tablet over and over to see if new things na come there”.
One 20-year-old girl they call Lynne say, “I can just want spend small time on social media. But when I go look, I can spent plenty time checking on the different-different things people put there. It can be hard for me to put my phone down and find something good to do.”
Think on the question them: My child will be able to control himself to obey the law I put down for using social media? My child really mature to make good decision and follow them?
Bible advise: “Keep strict watch that how you walk is . . . as wise persons, making the best use of your time.”—Ephesians 5:15, 16.
Allowing your child to use social media without putting any law down, looking just like letting her to ride bicycle without any good training
Wetin your child think about making friends
When they say “social media,” it mean that people who using it, connected to their friends or other people they know on the internet. Most of time the friends they can be making, that not real-real friend them.
One 17-year-old girl they call Patricia say, “I na notice that plenty young people can make mistake, thinking that if plenty people like or follow them on social media, it mean plenty people really care about them, even if they not know the people them.”
Think on this question them: My child mature enough to know that it not really important to be popular on the internet? How well my child doing when it come to making friend in real life?
Bible advise: “A true friend shows love at all times and is a brother who is born for times of distress.”—Proverbs 17:17.
How it will affect your child feeling
People who can do research say that, most of time the people who can use social media too much can be feeling lonely, worry and not happy.
One 19-year-old girl they call Serena say, “Seeing pictures of your friends having good time, and you not there with them, can really make you feel bad.”
Think on this question here: My child mature enough to avoid focusing on himself and running competition with other people, or he can allow the thing them he see other people doing on social media to affect him?
Bible advise: “Let us not become egotistical, stirring up competition with one another, envying one another.”—Galatians 5:26.
Wetin your child will do on the internet
Social media can make it easy for people to tell you bad-bad jokes or make you scary. They can even send you rude-rude text message and naked man and naked woman picture or video. Even if your child hand not in this thing them, they can look for way to make your child to get inside it.
One 23-year-old girl they call Linda say, “I notice that some thing them people can put on social media can start good, but when you go look it can turn bad. They can use plenty bad-bad words and music that can encourage bad behavior.”
Think on this question them: My child mature enough to use the internet the right way? My child able to say no to any bad thing that come up on his internet page?
Bible advise: “Let sexual immorality and every sort of uncleanness or greediness not even be mentioned among you, . . . neither shameful conduct nor foolish talking nor obscene jesting.”—Ephesians 5:3, 4.
My child really need to use social media?
You see, we not need social media to live, or be happy in life. Plenty young people na decide to not use social media. Even some young people them who were using it before na stop using it.
One 17-year-old boy they call Nathan say, “After seeing the bad effect social media was having on my sister, I decided to stop using it. Since then, I been more and more happy and I feeling really good about my life.”
The main thing to remember: Before allowing your child to use social media, make sure that your child know how much time to spend on it and how to make good friends in real life. Also help your child to know how to avoid any bad thing that may come up on his page.
Bible advise: “The shrewd one ponders each step.”—Proverbs 14:15.