IS YOUR CHILD ADDICTED?
If all your child wants to do is sit on the screen and play games or chat, this could be a sign that they are addicted to the Internet. This negative addiction can have adverse effects not only on their behaviour but on their social life in general.
"When your child starts exhibiting aggressive behaviour when you ask them to do other things other than be on their screens, you need to check them. Your child will start missing growth milestones, sleep deprivation-related problems amongst many other things," she warns.
Being an easy target, children are likely to fall prey to social media pressure and they will want to act and dress like their favourite celebrities.
Then there is the risk of sex predators and cyber bullies. Some of these encounters can have lifelong effects on your children like low self-esteem and in some cases depression.
WATCH OUT
She says parents should be the watchdogs of what their children do, not only on social media platforms but also on online games. Some of these games allow personalised chats and your child could be engaging in unhealthy conversations with adults.
Another thing to note is that various social media platforms have different age limits, it is up to you as a parent to ensure your child accesses areas that are age appropriate. If not, let them access the sites under supervision.
"Allowing children to be on social media entirely depends on a parent, but inform them of the consequences and how you expect them to carry out themselves while online. Being children you can never guarantee how far they will go. You can allow them to be on platforms that allow children's accounts to be linked with that of the parent so you are able to monitor their activities and ensure their safety," says Kasina
It is important to use the Internet as a force of good because seeing the capabilities that it has and the boundaries it has broken, it is up to us to take full advantage of what it can offer and not the other way around.