Keeping your kids safe online

UF Health Podcasts

Imagine your child is walking through a mall, alone. Your little one passes shop after shop and person after person.

Of course, you hope your child won’t talk to strangers or give anyone their personal information. Or that no one encourages them to do something they shouldn’t.

Online life today is just as perilous for children as being alone in public. It is estimated that about 95% of teenagers and 40% of children between the ages of 8 and 12 use some form of social media, according to the White House’s Task Force on Kids Online Health and Safety.

Children build media habits at a young age. The American Academy of Pediatrics offer five Cs to help parents guide children as they do.

First, it is important to consider your child. How do they use social media and the internet? Is it a form of expression or does online life fuel anxiety or other negative emotions?

Think about the content. Research shows that content shapes whether kids have positive or negative relationships with media. Help your child understand when videos and games are violent, promote unrealistic standards, or emphasize sheer commercialism.

Communication is key and it is important to talk with your child.

Your child needs to be able to calm herself. Social media can elicit quick emotions and bad feelings. Coping techniques are necessary.

Lastly, depending on how much media your family uses and when, online life might be crowding out things your family cares about. Quiet time, outdoor fun, and other hobbies are better when shared.

So, put down your own smartphone, think through the five Cs, and keep your little influencer healthy and happy.