How to Set Social Media Guidelines for Your Family

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How to Set Social Media Guidelines for Your Family

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Hello, I'm Josh, the founder of SmartSocial.com.
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Learn more about smartphone and social media agreements and create a custom agreement with your family with our course "Smartphone & Social Media Agreements: What Parents, Educators & Students Need to Know"

With their family’s well-being in mind, many parents are exploring ways to limit screen time, help their children develop positive social media behaviors, and monitor their children online to keep them safe. Many parents are wondering: Will a family social media contract help keep my kids safe?
So, we asked 3 experts to share their advice about whether or not parents should create a family contract with social media guidelines and what to include if they should.
3. Be involved in your child’s online actions

Joseph M. Yeager, Educator, Cyber Safety Advocate and Author
What’s more important than a social media contract is being involved with your child’s online actions –making sure that they know what a digital footprint is and what it means to them. Most kids don’t expect that their parents will be able to relate to what it’s like being a teenager and having to deal with social media (and they’re right). Today’s parents never experienced it.
A contract is only as helpful as the child’s desire to stay safe and not do anything online that can get them into trouble. Unless it’s taped to the wall by their computer and visible at every device they might use, it’s not going to help. Instead, kids need to see real examples of how their actions can get them into trouble, both physically and legally. More importantly, they need to know how their digital footprint might affect them years later.
Instead of getting your kids to sign a social media contract, get engaged in their online actions in a way that will get them to open up. Ask open ended questions that are harder for them to avoid by simply saying “No” to, effectively ending the conversation before it starts.
Conclusion
Whether you decide to create a family social media contract or not, it’s incredibly important for you to be involved in your child’s life on social media. While having a social media contract can help establish guidelines (and consequences for breaking those guidelines), that is only one piece of your family’s online safety puzzle. Parents must be vigilant about monitoring their kids on social media and having regular discussions about online safety. Because when you establish clear communication with your kids about social media, they will be more likely to come to you if something should occur.
Learn more about smartphone and social media agreements and create a custom agreement with your family with our course "Smartphone & Social Media Agreements: What Parents, Educators & Students Need to Know
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