Monitor Your Child's Social Apps

SAN DIEGO - May 5, 2022 - PRLog -- Is it a surprise that one-third of children between the ages of seven and nine are using social media applications on their cell phones or tablets (https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/social-media-young-kids/2021/11/19/3130ce5a-488a-11ec-95dc-5f2a96e00fa3_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_on_parenting&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_parent&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F355b705%2F619d1e2a9d2fdab56b9b7d43%2F5985e924ae7e8a681604c161%2F21%2F71%2F619d1e2a9d2fdab56b9b7d43)? Or that one in two adolescents aged 10 to 12 views and uses them? According to a report from children's health researchers at the University of Michigan (https://mottpoll.org/reports/sharing-too-soon-children-and-social-media-apps), one in six parents were not using any parental controls. It's time to monitor your child's social Apps.

As businesses seek ways to reach and interact with specific audiences, the number of new digital platforms continues to grow. We cannot stop its growth or use but we can contain and control how its content is used.

The online revolution that began 15 years ago on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram as a generalized way to meet, interact, and shop has blossomed into deep data mining methods towards reaching specific audiences with content that appeals to children's interests—music, comedy, dance, food, beauty, games and memes.

Meet Tik Tok. With its 15 second videos blurting tween, teen and Gen Z visuals, sounds and styles, this social app recently passed three billion mobile downloads. Maybe we should start teaching science, tech, engineering and math in 15 second segments, too!

Parents: Monitor Your Kids' Social Media Apps and Time Spent Watching

But there's a downside to all this social interaction. Young people see the world around them but may have no internal filters to guide them. So, parents need to monitor potential risks their children may find with false news, adult content and predators.

Technology Do's and Don'ts

Regardless of how daunting today's technology is, parents need to:

- Take the time to monitor what our kids are watching and posting
- Know whom our children are interacting with
- Set-up parental controls

Lifetime Montessori School: Your Partner in Promoting Safe Use of Social Media Apps for Kids

"We know that cell phones and tablets are part of today's online learning, friendships and entertainment routines. Still, it is our parental prerogative to limit our children's time spent and content viewed if it is not in keeping with our personal beliefs." Says Director of Lifetime Montessori School in Santaluz, California, an independent private school focused on teaching children ages 18 month olds - Grade 6 how to think.

It's time to monitor your child's social Apps. In so doing, parents are able to ensure that digital platforms are a privilege rather than a right.

Resources: Stats on children using social media (https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/social-media-young-...) and Children's Health Researchers at the University of Michigan (https://mottpoll.org/reports/sharing-too-soon-children-an...).
To add your child to the school's waiting list, visit: www.lifetimemontessorischool.com/free-tours.