Parent Guide
Social Media
Opportunities, Risks, Limits
Social media is part of children's and teenagers' lives. Banning rarely works – better: understand, accompany, set sensible limits.
Why children use social media
Understanding the positive sides
Before we talk about risks – these are the positive sides:
Stay in touch with friends, groups, shared interests.
Create videos, edit images, express yourself.
Tutorials, explainer videos, discover new skills.
Being part of a community, experiencing trends.
Know the risks
Inappropriate content
Violence, pornography, extremism – algorithms don't always show age-appropriate content.
Contact with strangers
Not everyone is who they claim to be. Cybergrooming is real.
Cyberbullying
Teasing, exclusion, hate comments – often harsher online than offline.
Addiction potential
Endless scrolling, FOMO, constant notifications.
Privacy
Location, personal data, tracking – often unknowingly shared.
Comparison pressure
Unrealistic body images, lifestyle comparisons, self-worth issues.
Platform settings
Every platform has security settings – use them!
- Accompanied mode (link with parent account)
- Set account to private
- Disable or restrict direct messages
- Filter comments
- Enable screen time reminders
- Enable private account
- Turn off activity status
- Comment filter for offensive words
- Story only for close friends
- Set up parental supervision (for under 16)
- Snap Map on "Ghost Mode"
- Only friends can contact
- Restrict story visibility
- Use Family Center
- Enable restricted mode
- For younger kids: use YouTube Kids
- Disable autoplay
- Regularly check search history
- Profile picture only for contacts
- Status only for contacts
- Restrict group invitations
- Hide last seen
Parent rules for social media
Know which platforms – Ask what your child uses. Download the apps yourself and try them out.
Show interest – "Show me what you're doing" instead of "What are you doing on your phone again?"
Explain privacy – "What you post online, stays online. Even if you delete it."
Screen-free times – Shared meals, before sleep, during homework.
Disable location – Turn off GPS and geotags in photos.
Note minimum age
Most platforms have a minimum age of 13 (TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube). This has legal reasons – and makes sense content-wise too. For younger children, there are child-friendly alternatives.
Book a course?
In my courses, you learn how to set up all apps securely – privacy, security, sensible limits.
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