MSB Blog

Monson Savings Bank is devoted helping members of our communities stay safe, including the younger generations. This is why the Bank is sharing these helpful tips to help you keep your child safe when they are using social media platforms. Other helpful Safety and Security articles can be found on our frequently updated blog.

Keeping your child safe on social media is vital, but it might seem like a daunting task. No one has the ability to monitor their child’s social media accounts every minute of every day. However, there are steps you can take to keep your child safe when they are using social media sites.

Whether you are deciding if you should allow your child on social media or they have existing accounts, here are some pointers:

• Be informed: Being aware of the potential dangers of social media is the first step to protecting your child. You need to know what dangers are out there in order to help protect them.
  
  
• Communication is key: Keep an open line of communication when it comes to internet safety. Warn your child of the potential dangers of social media and share safety tips with them, like only accepting friend requests from people they know. It is important your child knows that they can come to you with any safety concerns. Be serious, not angry, when addressing online safety so they know that they can come to you and speak openly about any safety concerns they might be having.
  
  
• Age requirements: Most social media sites have an age requirement of 13 years old to create an account, those younger than 13 must obtain their parents’ permission before joining these sites. Although children can join social media sites if they are under 13 with your permission, it is suggested to wait until they have reached the recommended age. The recommended age exists for a reason. There might be content or risks on the site that someone under the age of 13 is not ready for. If you decide to allow them to be on social media before they have reached the recommended age, we suggest that you take extra precautions with monitoring their account. And remember, kids can easily lie about their age to join a social media site. As a parent, it is up to you to know what your child is doing online.
  
  
• Create basic social media rules for your household: Set basic rules that everyone in your household must follow in order to be allowed to use social media. If everyone in the house is following the same rules, your child is more likely to follow suit and honor the rules as well. Remind your children that it’s a privilege to have social media accounts and if they do not follow the rules, their privilege can be revoked. Here are few ideas to help get you started with creating your rules: no social media use after a certain time of day, a limit of how much time can be spent on social media, parents must be able to access social media accounts upon request, etc.
   
• Keep an eye on their privacy settings: All major social media platforms offer the option to keep an account private, ensuring this option is utilized will help prevent strangers from viewing your child’s account. Many social media sites allow for users to share their location, this can be very dangerous, especially for a child. Make sure your child’s social media accounts are not sharing their location, this will stop people from being able to locate your child. Some social media sites have content filtering settings, as a parent you can utilize these settings to filter inappropriate content from your child’s feed.
  
  
• Tools to help monitor your child’s online activity: In addition to the privacy settings offered by social media platforms, you can utilize products like, Bark, to help monitor your child’s online usage. 
  
  
• Cyberbullying: Beware of cyberbullying and know the signs. If you notice changes in your child’s behavior after they use social media, ask them if they are being cyberbullied. Visit www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/prevention to learn more.

It might be anxiety provoking to allow your child to create social media accounts, but the right information and tools can give you some peace of mind. We hope that these social media safety tips are not only helpful to you, but your entire family. Find more Safety and Security articles on the MSB Blog.