We are in an internet age. It is unavoidable; your kids will be using social media with or without your knowledge. You can get a head start, though. You can provide them a device and access to the internet, but with some censorship without their knowledge. With parental control apps for social media, you can discreetly monitor their activity, helping you shape their progress. You can try Bark social media. Should you monitor your child’s social media, though? There are pros and cons of monitoring your child which can help you determine if it is worth it, among the top including:
The pros
Moderate exposure
Social media platforms are filled with all sorts of content. Your child is not ready for some, and monitoring their activities can help you filter and moderate access. Content exposure can have a long-term impact on your child, especially considering the potential emotional trauma. This emphasizes the need to moderate exposure, ensuring your child interacts only with age-appropriate content.
Protect reputation
Internet is permanent; nothing really gets deleted. As your child learns the ropes, they can easily make unwise decisions, such as posting things they shouldn’t. This can haunt them for years, including as they go job hunting. Monitoring their activities and steering them away from such instances helps protect their reputation.
Security
Online sex predators are more common than you might expect, and your child can easily be lured. Other security concerns, such as sharing sensitive information that can be used against your whole family, are also possible. With the best social media monitoring tools for parents, you can keep help avoid such security concerns.
Model their behavior
Is your child a cyber-bully or being bullied? Such social vices can be managed by monitoring your child’s social media activities. You can model them into socially responsible individuals, such as by helping them to get through bullies or educating them on the damaging consequences of bullying.
Manage the use
Today, we can hardly go without some screen time. With the free parental controls app, you can set screen time, helping your child have a life outside social media.
The cons
Poor relationship
No one appreciates censorship, including your children. They can see the monitoring as an invasion of their privacy and feel like you don’t trust them. If they feel betrayed, it can ruin your relationship and even lead to some rebellious behaviors.
Backfiring potential
You could be thinking that you are in the driver’s seat while you are not. You can misjudge your child’s intelligence, assuming they can’t tell you are monitoring them. Modern kids are more evolved and can find your tracking tricks and remove them. They can leave you full of confidence that you know what they are up to while they sneak around under your nose. You need the best parental control apps to avoid such concerns, some of which could be costly.
Worry
It is only natural for you to worry, but monitoring your children’s social media can send you into a state of constant anxiety. Everything they do can add to the worry, prompting you to pay closer attention, a never-ending cycle that can be depressing.
Parental control apps can help you develop a safe online space. Nonetheless, you need a practical approach, ensuring it doesn’t backfire, causing friction between you and the child.