Psychologist's Parental Guide on Social Media Uses for Children

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - It would not be uncommon nowadays to see parents uploading photos of their children onto social media. And you may even personally know those who created a social media account primarily for their child. 

However, child psychologist Roslina Verauli, or Vera, called for parents to reconsider their intentions when allowing their children social platforms. 

When it is meant to immortalize a child’s moment in life, she reminded that social media footprints would have lasting effects and be difficult to control when it came to whoever was downloading and re-uploading a child’s photos. 

That could be solved by locking the child’s account with private settings offered by social media platforms such as Instagram. However, she reminded that this solution did not guarantee who would follow the account or whether it would not be followed by individuals with negative intent. 

Read: Facebook Removes 8.7mn Contents to Fight Child Exploitation

“My suggestion is for parents to adhere to existing regulations such as age limits when creating certain social media platforms. This way, parents act as the child’s protectors at a time when the child cannot protect themselves,” said Vera. 

As for parents that do not create exclusive social media platforms for their children, Vera suggested they limit the types of images to be uploaded. She reminded parents not to upload a child’s private moments, including the child’s identity and their habits, to keep others from misusing them. 

She also reminded parents who uploaded social media contents on their children on business motives to abide by the United Nation’s convention on children's rights. 

AURA