Babies above 6 months often clap, laugh, and express their emotions. Do you think all of that just magically happens? Of course not. Instead, they get it from us through social learning based on the interaction between infants and caregivers.

Studies also show that humans learn through imitation from a very young age. For example, learning to handle objects, understand temperatures before touching them, uttering first words, etc. It is almost like monkey-see-monkey-do. Thus, parents need to be careful to avoid imparting their social media addiction to their children.

We are worried because, if you notice, we check our phones first thing in the morning, and the scrolling continues until we fall asleep. Therefore, in today’s edition, we will find solutions for ‘How to Protect Your Children From Social Media.’

Weaning the Children off the Social Media!

The addiction to the digital world is not discriminatory. It happens to people of all sizes, colors, and ages. However, children are the most vulnerable prey to this obsession.

The very shiny and glittery realm of social media seizes their attention and occupies their brain, weaving a virtual tapestry of unnecessary fleeting connections. This is mainly because, in this magical land, they can feast their eyes on the glamorous lives of others through what they post.

People share so much on the public platform that it has started to seem like an exhibition of life or a senseless race of views. Consequently, everyone blindly following trends to seek validation makes differentiating between authenticity and deception an uphill battle.

Symptoms of the Deadly Obsession

A great researcher and scholar from America, Danah Boyd, has written about the effects of digital media in her book – ‘It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens.’ She has other books on diversity inclusion and equity, too, but this particular book speaks volumes about children’s impressionable nature.

She also discusses the role of parents in keeping the children from completely submerging into the illusionary world. However, they can only provide help once they identify the problem. Here are a few symptoms to detect the starting of an addiction while there is still time to address it.

Shrinking appetite
Blurry visions
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder – ADHD
Insomnia without a reason
Zero social skills
Glued to screens 24×7
Sacrificing family time unnecessarily
Using social media to cope with emotions
Irritability when denied access
Falling grades.

Finding & Resolving the Underlying Issue

If your teenager tick-marks at least five out of these ten symptoms, then be certain that they are suffering from an unhealthy obsession. So, to Protect Your Children From Social Media, here is an aligned comparison of how you can manage things without startling them.

*Problem*	*Solution*
The first problem is that the online community allows people to reflect fake identities just to seek validation.	As a solution, parents can initiate offline activities and hobbies to encourage identity exploration. It could be anything from participating in sports to learning art forms. It could even be a brief meditation session.
Secondly, all they want is to share details of every intimate moment of their life. They have this urge to keep their followers updated about their whereabouts through location pins, photos, and videos.	To stop fuelling social media with your private details, one needs to be mindful of the moment. For this, parents can promote small talk and practice eating together. They can also cheer the kids to talk and then listen to them actively.
Then there is this constant FOMO – Fear of Missing Out. This feeling feeds the distractedness and stops the children from appreciating what is on their plate. They are always busy comparing their life with others.	Experts have found a creative solution to this problem. JOMO replaces FOMO. JOMO is when, instead of missing the moments, you find joy in what you have. Parents can sit with the kids and teach them gratitude journaling.
Other than that, the access to the internet and availability of digital devices is gratifying. Therefore, in their absence, teenagers develop Nomophobia.	Parents will have to discuss with the teenagers and settle on a time slot for a ‘phone-free’ zone. It should be a two to three-hour slot every day when you do nothing but get bored. Scientists suggest that getting bored brings out our creativity.

Some Additional Moves for Protection

Grant Moore is an author from Canada who has established many writings about the online behavior of mainstream media addicts. Inspired by his work, here are a few more bonus ideas about how parents can intervene and stop their madness.

Just like after so much junk eating, your body needs a break. Similarly, after more than enough toxic social media usage, the brain needs digital detox to regain its cognitive functions. This detox is compulsory once a week, in which you use no screen for twelve hours straight.

Next, make your kids have a schedule where checking the notification is allowed only twice a day. Moreover, time limits for internet access should be set, and rewards should be set for following the schedule effectively.

Instead of strictly saying no to devices in bed or during meals, introduce some thought-provoking habits like reading during that time. When the parents do the same, kids will eventually imitate.

As parents, you also have to be more open to Protect Your Children From Social Media. Spend time with them, encourage discussion, share your experiences, and play mind-boosting games together.

Keep an eye on their emotional bars, and if you notice irregular mood swings, then encourage them to speak about them. You can even schedule a therapist’s session if they are shy with you.

Finally, during the times of internet access, tell them their search boundaries and show the children that you trust them. This is a proven trick to make them feel responsible for their actions.

After that, educating the child about potential abuses and risks is also significant. Tell them about some real-life abuse cases and make them aware of the consequences. Moreover, use your parental controls to navigate their direction on the web.

What are three examples of social media abuse?

Digital abuse can differ with age. For example, cyberbullying and inappropriate content exposure is common in kids. In addition, excessive screen time is also mental and physical abuse to these young minds.

Why do kids get addicted to such platforms?

Some common reasons are lower self-esteem, lack of affection, personal dissatisfaction, and peer pressure. Such factors easily compel children to fall into this trap of the digital world.

What should kids do if not indulge themselves in screens?

There are countless options to engage kids without involving screens, such as gardening, baking, crafting, and visiting educational places. Alternatively, you can just talk to your toddlers about their day.

Which platform is the safest for children?

You can let them use websites like Franktown Rocks, Sweety High, and KidzWorld. Likewise, there are child-friendly apps like Cocoon, Blinx, Azoomee, Zigazoo and Xooloo Digital Coach.

Final Reflections of What We Learned…

One thing that we often disregard is that constant monitoring and restriction on children is sure to make them defiant after a certain age. They can start to disobey or even go beyond limits without your knowledge. Therefore, as parents, instead of preventing them from accessing social media, you must allow them to join the league. Though not without silent supervision.

You can still control the influences from behind their backs, and trust us; social media is only scary if you frame it that way. Give your child reasons to feel esteemed by showering all that love, and they will never find it in the wrong places. Hence, if you want to Protect Your Children From Social Media, then follow the rules you make for them first. They will eventually imitate because the monkey does what the monkey sees!