Main image via The Online Citizen
The coronavirus pandemic has without a doubt, made parents and kids alike spend more time online - up to two more hours daily to be exact.
A study from cybersecurity company Kaspersky has found that in Southeast Asia (SEA), 63% of parents agreed that their children are using the internet more than they did last year.
Having said that, there are now suggestions that these statistics correlate to the chances of your kid wanting to become a social media influencer.
“There is nothing wrong if your kid’s dream is to become a blogger or an influencer. It is like the older generation wanting to become famous singers or movie stars,” said Stephan Neumeier, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky.
“What’s important is to support and guide our children on this endeavour. Arm your kids with the right mind set about success and failure, train them on how to balance their studies and their online activities, most of all, educate them about the right tools and habits that will keep their online experience safe at all times,” he added.
But what does it take to raise the next YouTube or Instagram star?
via GIPHY
Well, first, parents must understand the importance of online security, despite statistics showing 52% of SEA parents trust that their children know how to keep themselves safe online.
This approach is wrong, as kids can take the desire to get acquainted on social media as the first signs of popularity, and thus, feel more comfortable to share more about themselves with random people.
If you as a parent understand that your child would like to try on the role of a popular blogger, you should accept that their social networks will inevitably turn into public ones, open to everyone.
So here’s some advice…
Remember that social media will always be a way for your child to keep in touch with friends
via GIPHY
Do not turn private accounts into public ones, it’s better to leave one or two sites where crowds of subscribers and trolls will not bother the child. A private account should be closed to everyone except friends, relatives, teachers and other important people from real life.
Remind your child of their reputation
via GIPHY
Everything that’s posted online, stays online. Explain to them that before making his or her overly expressive vocabulary the best bet, he or she should think about other, more acceptable ways of expressing yourself.
Create an account for the public together with your child
via GIPHY
Do not disclose any personal or sensitive information because if the account does gain popularity, then any of this data can be used against your kid and your family. Teach your child what they need to keep track of what they are telling the world.
Tell your child about cyber-stalking
via GIPHY
It's not about trolls that insult and offend everyone, but about people who are looking for closer communication, or meeting. It’s about the way crazy fans behave with their idol. A child should know that this can happen if his account becomes popular, and remember that in private communication with strangers on a public account it is also forbidden to disclose sensitive information even if this communication has been going on for a long time.
Prepare your child for trolls
via GIPHY
There will always be haters. Explain to your child that whatever those people say shouldn’t be taken personally. Everyone chooses the most comfortable style of “working” with such people in public: someone ignores them and deletes their comments, while the others answer them equally as rude. At the same time, you definitely do not need to respond to unpleasant comments in your personal account. Explain to the child that the choice of aggressive behavior cannot be transferred to the closest circle of communication.
Remind your child about the law
via GIPHY
Be careful of what you say or do on social media. You and your child should first check if the topic chosen for the blog is safe to talk about.
Finally, tell your child that this may or may not work out, but they can at least try!
Of course, if you do decide to try out at being an influencer, you should be positive about it, otherwise it definitely will not work out.