Opinion: Should parents have social media control tools?

Whether parents should have control over their children’s social media is a question most parents struggle with, especially during online learning. I believe the answer is yes. By having control of children’s phones they can ensure the safety of children, monitor the things they say, things they receive, doing, sharing on social media. Parents should have social media control tools because of cyberbullying, online predators, and the children’s time management. 

Cyberbullying occurs in all ages, but teens are more likely to get hurt in cyberbullying. Since I’m a teenager, I can say to all the parents that, if we get cyberbullies, the chances are, we don’t tell any adults. They will try to keep to themselves, and as times go on they will be overwhelmed and upset. It is important for parents to make sure that the child is interacting with the right people. They should try to observe if they have any tardies, lack of sleep, or getting harassed. By viewing their interaction in their social media, parents can identify potential bullying.

While many parents are lecturing to their kids about predators in daily life, they overlook the predators online. There had been so many cases where a teenager’s life ended in an online predator’s hand. Parents should check through children’s messages on social media sites to see who they are interacting with. An example would be the nth room case that happened in South Korea in 2019. A young man created a digital room that contains many people and used to force victims including underage girls to perform torturous sexual actions. So parents should be mindful of the site that their children are going on and prevent it if parents can see potential harmful results. 

 Many children have access to their cellphone twenty-four seven. It is important to set a limit on their screen time, so they can finish their task and get the rest they need By monitoring their screen, parents can have an idea of how much time their children are spending on social media and what things they are looking through. After looking through their kids’ social media, parents might acknowledge what things their child is interested in.

In conclusion, parents should have social media control tools because of the danger of cyberbullying, checking for online predators, and helping their child build time management.