Knowing what your teen or child is doing on different social networks is not always easy for parents to understand, and can often be a challenging conversation to raise with them.
For many parents, it can be a challenging and sensitive topic to approach with their teens as mobile phones and devices become a personal part of their growing independence and day-to-day lives. We want to ensure that parents feel confident when it comes to understanding what their teens are doing on social media platforms, and educate them on how they can form an open dialogue to learn about social use.
Here are some of our top conversation starters to help parents chat with their teens about their social media use:
- What are your favourite apps/platforms?
- Do your friends from school use the same ones?
- Could you show me how the app/platform works?
- Do you ever worry about anything that happens online or in an app?
- What digital safety advice would you give a younger child (e.g. a sibling)?
- Is there anything I can do to support you better (in terms of your digital spaces)?
We understand that young people will make mistakes (in real life and in virtual environments) and that it’s all part of growing up. It is important that social media providers offer safety nets and nudge teens in the right direction when their behaviour could put them at risk. We know you want your children or teens to be as safe as possible in their digital spaces so, as the leading platform for young people to socialise online, we take this responsibility very seriously.
Other topics that we encourage parents to speak to their teens about include:
- Blocking and reporting behaviours that they feel uncomfortable with, to help eliminate negative experiences
- Although many platforms have systems in place to flag any harmful behaviour, we encourage parents to remind teens about the importance of using safety features, and being open about any issues they may be experiencing.
- Always remember to remind your teen that there are support networks dedicated to keeping them safe online, and if they don’t feel comfortable speaking with a trusted adult, they can turn to these resources for expert guidance – for example, the Kids Helpline is a great organisation that can offer assistance.
For more information, visit Yubo’s online safety centre for additional supportive resources for parents and teens.
Attributed to Annie Mullins, Yubo’s Safety Advisor and Founder of Trust + Safety Group
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