How to keep the children safe on Instagram – An ultimate guide for the parents

he more the technology has grown, the more complications it has brought to life. Don’t get me wrong! I agree that everyone’s life has become easy with just a touch on the screen. Right from ordering fashion to tracking the live news updates. It couldn’t be much faster or easier.

However, lesser rules & regulations on the internet have left many people vulnerable to the dark side of technology. Cyberbullying and crimes have been increasing with each passing year. Kids and teens are no exception to this susceptibility. As parents, it is our responsibility to have some precepts in the house to protect our kids from any harm.

The perfect gram

This application is all about likes and validation. Even the most successful influencers take a toll on their mental health if there aren’t enough likes on their post. The sad truth about this gram is the extent one can go to get that validation from the followers.

Young adults need to understand that what they see on Instagram is not real or accurate. The filters and editing make the content look beautiful and pleasing to the eyes. Have an open conversation with the child and talk about how beauty standards are flawed.

Manage the mental health

When you go through the reels on Instagram, you’d observe how various accounts are following the same trend. Thousands of hours of content is nothing but copying each other’s dance moves or some random challenges. The ones who aren’t interested might feel FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) from their peers and end up performing the trend.

It might turn toxic to the mental health and cause a lot of issues to the young mind including lack of focus, losing interest in education, and withdrawal from favourite hobbies etc. In such cases, reach out to the therapist to help the child recover. Find the best therapist in your locality using the email finding tool, GetEmail.io. This website can help you find an email address within just a matter of seconds.

Cyberbullying on Instagram

Teens are the most common target for cyberbullying on the gram. Though the website provides a lot of security when it comes to bullying, yet this malpractice prevails. As per a survey conducted in 2019, 36.5% of the respondents endured cyberbullying at some point in their lives.

Understand the symptoms that your child shows. Disinterested behaviour, avoiding any conversation with the parents, sudden change in their academics, etc are the common symptoms of the victim. Scrutinize the situation before it is too late. Assure your child that they’re in safe hands. Don’t react harshly. All they need is compassion and understanding.

Conclusion

As a parent, offer transparent and open communication with your child. Understand how the application works and limit the screen time. Change the settings like privacy and location setting to avoid any unwanted circumstances. Encourage your child to report bullying and explain to them about the harms of the technology. Always remember, the stricter you become to your kid, the harder it becomes for them to communicate.

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Terry

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