As your child grows, they are likely to spend more and more time online. What parents need to know to keep their children safe when using social media so it can assist in safeguarding their kids' brain development by managing their social media use in a multi-faceted manner, which includes setting time restrictions, supervising and monitoring them, and having continuing conversations about social media.

Children's social media use positively and negatively affects their healthy development. Paying close attention to their social media use and content consumption is crucial, according to a psychological study.

Truly, children may rely on these devices for various purposes, such as communicating with loved ones, finishing schoolwork, and engaging in educational and artistic applications. They have easy access to this digitally controlled environment. However, using it responsibly is key, just like with any tool.

There are perks to having a smartphone, but there are also risks. It would help if you protected your kids from falling victim to:

1. The Practice of cyberbullying

2. Potential harmful content exposure

3. Addiction to screen time

4. Internet hunters

Due to the inherent anonymity of the web, predators can more easily prey on impressionable youths via online gaming and social media; it is not always a safe and positive experience for children.

Here are 6 strategies for your child to maximize all the good things the internet and digital technologies offer while protecting them against potential harm.

Discuss honestly with your children about who they communicate with and how and who can see what they post online.

Make it clear that their online activity (including photos, videos, comments, and anything else they share) leaves a digital footprint that can be traced back to them. If they want to make a good impression online or "digital footprint," they should guard their words and actions carefully.

Make sure they understand that discriminatory or inappropriate contact is never acceptable. No one should spread rumours or share hurtful or embarrassing stories or photos. What may seem like a harmless joke to one person can be deeply hurtful to others.

If your child experiences something online that makes them upset, uncomfortable, or scared, encourage them to tell you or a trusted adult immediately.

Children often 'know' the perpetrators of online harassment or abuse, so it is important to help them to be alert and know how to respond to any problematic behaviours they encounter online.

Check that your child's device is always updated and running the latest software and that privacy settings are on and configured to minimize data collection so that people don't see any information you don't want them to see.

Help your child learn to keep personal information private. If your privacy settings are not secure, anyone can see your information.

Keep webcams covered when not in use.

Create opportunities for your child to have safe and positive online interactions with family and friends. Connecting with others is an excellent opportunity to model kindness and empathy in virtual interactions. Introduce them to trustworthy sources of information.

Children can be exposed to advertising that may promote unhealthy foods, gender stereotypes, or age-inappropriate material. Please help them recognize online ads and use the opportunity to explore together what is wrong with some of the negative messaging you see.

Children imitate what they see, and be mindful of the example you set and what you share online about your child, including their photos and videos.

If they have classes online, encourage them to respect others and be mindful of what can be seen on camera to maintain privacy.

Be alert if your child appears moody or secretive when engaging in online activities.

Please familiarize yourself with their school's digital learning policies. Seek out local helplines and resources for the latest issues in keeping children safe online and how to report cyberbullying or inappropriate content.

Spending time online can be a great opportunity for your children to be creative, learn, use their voices to share their views, and support causes that are important to them.

Please encourage your child to use resources on the internet to help them get moving, like online musical videos for children and educative video games that require physical movement.

Balancing online activities with an active lifestyle and offline recreation for a healthy balance in all aspects of life.

It is advised that parents closely monitor their children's social media activity, especially while they are young. Children are more likely to encounter improper content and features when they use social media without an adult's supervision. Furthermore, studies have shown that parents should frequently converse with their children on appropriate social media usage. The fact that a lot of people these days don't know what these platforms are or how they function makes this a difficult situation for a lot of parents and caregivers.

Look out for warning signals that your youngster is engaging in harmful behaviour on social media. There may be issues with your child's social media usage if:

School, friendships, and extracurricular activities are just a few everyday routines and obligations it disrupts;

It hinders their ability to participate in consistent physical exercise.

They continue to use social media despite their expressed intention to stop.

They want to check social media, which is intense for them.

To spend time online, they employ dishonest practices or lie.

To ensure your child has a pleasant experience with technology, parents need to find a balance between independence and safety. You can assist your child with safely navigating the digital by establishing limits, keeping lines of communication open, and offering assistance.