Leitrim professor gives her top tips for raising social media safe kids

1. Open communication

The most important thing parents can do is create a non-judgmental space where children feel able to talk about what they are doing online without fear of being reprimanded or having their device taken away.

Those conversations should begin when children are young and continue through to 18, with children encouraged to come to their parents if they encounter something frightening or confusing online.

“I would also say, starting that, you know, from a very early age, when the kids are young, that you start as a parent, having those chats on about what they’re doing online, who are they talking to, and of course setting out that if they’re ever in the position where they experience something that scares them, or they don’t understand it, or they don’t know what to do, that to come to the parents and they won’t be blamed.”

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2. Healthy screen habits

Social media and screens can be addictive, making a healthy relationship with technology important.

Restrictions on device use should depend on individual family circumstances. Dr Heeran-Flynn stresses that research says there should be no screen time for children aged 0-2, with this increasing as children mature through adolescence.

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3. Make the rules as a family

Technology rules should apply to everyone in the household. Hearn recommends co-creating a family agreement that everyone follows.

“I’d consider co-creating kind of a family agreement that everyone sticks to, which we know is difficult, but again, it can be difficult for children to do something and teenagers if they see parents doing something different.”

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4. Get outdoors

Plan activities for children outside the online world, giving them things to look forward to that are not based around screens.

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5. Use parental controls

Children need to develop autonomy, but parents should also be able to keep an eye on what they are doing online. Parental controls should be used when children are young and can be removed as they grow and develop more responsible habits.

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6. Teach privacy

Children should learn what is and is not appropriate to share online.

Particular care should be taken with information such as their full name, address and other specific details, which can be dangerous to share.

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7. Encourage critical thinking

In an age of disinformation, children need to learn to critically assess what they encounter online, both at school and at home.

“It’s really important in schools that we work on critical thinking, but also from a home perspective as well.

“And it’s not about scaremongering, but teaching children to critically analyse and think and see about what they’re seeing online, where it comes from, why it might have been posted and so on.

“And I don’t think it’s ever too early to start that on.”

8. Teach respect online

Children learn that being rude or mean in the schoolyard is wrong. The same principle applies online, where hurtful behaviour can also damage others.

“It’s really important that we have conversations about respectful online behaviour, and reiterating that, in the same way as in the offline world, we have to be kind and respectful.

“And the same way that our words and actions can impact others.

“It’s really important to reiterate that it’s also the case in the online world.”

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9. Model healthy habits

Parents also need to consider their own relationship with technology. Setting a positive example means thinking about when and why devices are used and modelling healthy digital behaviour at home.

“The children are looking at us, so it’s about balancing our use of devices, when we use it, why we use it, if it’s allowing, if we allow them to distract us from the children. And it’s showing and modelling respectful online behaviour and really just about modelling good digital well-being in the daily life of the home.”

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10. Keep informed

The online world is changing quickly, making it important for parents to stay up to date with information about helping children navigate it.

Hearn recommends Webwise.ie and Cybersafekids.ie as the best places for parents to get and stay informed.