Family guidance and things to consider in children's social media use
Experts draw attention to the importance of monitoring the effects of digital habits on children's daily lives.
Child Health and Diseases Specialist Dr. Aliya Javadova stated that families should focus not only on the duration of children's social media use, but also on the content and its effects on daily life.
Screen Time and Daily Life Effects
In this period where social media occupies an increasing place in children's lives, it is of great importance for families to closely monitor digital habits.
Usage should not be evaluated solely based on the time spent, but also together with elements such as sleep patterns, physical activity, school life, and intra-family communication.
Application Knowledge and Setting Boundaries
Families need to know the applications their children use, set age-appropriate boundaries, and review privacy settings together.
Open Communication and Safe Environment
A non-judgmental, open communication environment should be created where children can comfortably share the problems they encounter in the digital environment with their families.
When children feel uncomfortable due to content they see on the internet, they should be able to tell their families about it without hesitation.
Risks That May Be Encountered and Solutions
Children may encounter age-inappropriate content, messages from strangers, or situations such as cyberbullying on social media.
It is emphasized that in such situations, instead of a punitive attitude, families should establish a communication where the child feels safe.
Developing Healthy Digital Habits
Considering that each child's needs are different, age-appropriate rules should be determined and discussed together with the child.
Instead of completely banning social media use, contribution should be made to the development of healthy and safe habits.