What if you had opportunity to re-do something from the past, change or improve one moment in time? What would it be? We all have something. I can instantly name more than a handful. How about you?
Try to think of one in particular, — maybe an embarrassing event, or a phase you went through…or just a dumb choice that led to a heap more. How old were you when it happened? My guess is you were in your late teens or early 20’s.
Now imagine if it had been documented, – photos, video, and all. Imagine if your most regretful act was now available for replay, indefinitely. — I’d rather not. But maybe yours was.
Today, moments in time are captured without hesitation, and instantly made permanent. It’s scary, for all of us, and especially when it comes to kids and teenagers. Science tells us that their brains are still developing the ability to measure consequences. Yet, they are sharing photos and words, often in moments of impulse, in forms that remain accessible long-term. What will they think in 10 years, if these things reappear?
Modern pre-teens and young adults are naturally as immature and prone to poor judgement as we were. It’s why age is the determination for freedoms within our society. Psychological and emotional readiness take time, and rushing the process can lead to permanent damage, both emotionally and physically.
Exposure to mature and complicated media is not something to take lightly.
Suppose your 13-year-old daughter comes to you and says, “I’ve got this. I’ve been watching you drive for years.” Do you hand her the keys? What if your 15-year-old says he’s going with some friends to the drive-in, one next to a strip club, …do you let him go along? You guys, when we leave our kids on their own with internet freedom, the door is open to situations like these.
It’s tricky online because boundaries aren’t always enforced, followed, or even determined. When it comes to social media, we share a platform where every user follows different rules, or none at all.And as parents, we can’t pretend to know about everything out there.
Accessibility is constantly changing. From private messages to texting, Instagram and Snapchat, Facebook, Youtube, Minecraft, etc. we have to be on guard. The conversation requires heart-centered, truthful conversation, a will for strong character.
Here are some thoughts, as we consider the impact and depth of media freedom for our kids.
Boundaries / Expectations with Connection
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What kind of purpose does your son/daughter have with the media they choose, and what are the exact boundaries to keep this focus? Do you agree with their thoughts?
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If this is how they are connecting with friends, how will they respond to invitation from acquaintances or people they don’t know?
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Is social media taking priority over in-person connection? How are you helping managing the time and establish limits?
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What kind of acceptance are they expecting with social media?
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Is your son/daughter relying on the approval of others for self-worth? Is a calculation of likes, comments, and followers a predominant concern for them?
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Do you want your child to connect with others using social media?
Behavior
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Does your son/daughter understand what is acceptable behavior? — Can they recognize when something is rude, mean, indecent, embarrassing, or overly critical?
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Would your son/daughter have the wits not to post or respond to something that is rude, mean, indecent, embarrassing, or overly critical? How would they respond when friends do?
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Is your son/daughter hanging around people who would post inappropriately?
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Do your son/daughter’s friends understand what is acceptable behavior? Would they try to post anything to embarrass or hurt your child? (When our kids spend time with other kids who have social media, their actions are most likely documented.)
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Do you trust your son/daughter’s behavior with social media?
Images / Permanence
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Social media opens the door for your child to view pornography, violence, and other graphic images. How can they avoid this? Do the apps and websites they use have filtering? — Does it work?
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Would your son/daughter search for pornography, violence, and other graphic images if they could?
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What kinds of photos and videos is your son/daughter posting? Do they understand the permanence with it?
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Would your son/daughter be ok if you saw every thing they were posting?
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Do you trust your son/daughter’s judgement with posting?
Cyberbullying
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Does your son/daughter know what cyberbullying is?
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Has your son/daughter ever experienced this? — Are you sure?
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Would your son/daughter bully someone online?
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How would your son/daughter respond if someone bullied them online?
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How would your son/daughter respond if someone bullied someone else online?
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Do you feel comfortable with how your child would respond to cyberbullying?
Feelings / Self-Esteem / Self-Actualization
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Does your son/daughter have a healthy self-image? Do you talk with them about it?
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Does your son/daughter have other kind of engagement with people aside from social media?
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Is your son/daughter feeling pressured to use social media because it is popular, or do they really enjoy it?
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Do you feel that social media is a resource that builds your child up? Is it supporting their fullest potential?
Here are some extra links that I found helpful for all of this.
Together We Thrive!
~ Ayme
http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/social-media-smarts.html#
http://www.parenting.com/gallery/social-media-monitoring-kids
We Thrive Online 