FOMO: Are You Monitoring Your Kids’ Social Media Usage
[column width=”1/1″ last=”true” title=”” title_type=”single” animation=”none” implicit=”true”]Are your kids suffering from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)? Are you perpetuating their inability to socialize in face to face situations? Are we the reason they lack discernment and the ability to accurately judge character?
We have all experienced it at some point or another, either we or our loved ones are too connected. We all know or are that person who can’t go a day without checking in on social media.
Technology gave birth to social media and applications meant to improve our lives, make us more productive and keep us connected to loved ones. However, the same technology designed for good is wreaking havoc on our family time, social skills and in some cases putting the lives of our children in peril.
Our children are more connected now than ever. They are plugged into the internet and social media constantly from the time they wake up until the time they go to sleep. All day long our children are potentially subject to negativity, deception, cyberbullying and predators. According to Tahnk (n.d.), 22% of teenagers access social media of their choice from their cell phones 10 or more times per day. The interesting factor is that the parents are the purchasers of the technology that is disengaging children from reality.
Social media has become the new baby-sitter, it is the new substitution for quality time. It keeps children engaged and busy. But just like any baby-sitter, parents need to do background checks. They need to know exactly who are watching their children. That means parents must re-engage with their children and discuss the dangers that exist in cyberspace, but most importantly parents MUST monitor their kid’s social media activity.
Here are some questions you should ask yourself:
• Do you know who your children are interacting with?
• Are they engaging in age appropriate behavior?
• Do they have age appropriate relationships?
• How much time do they spend on social media?
• Are they experiencing cyberbullying?
Here is a link to an article that can help you start a conversation about social media usage with your family.
[/column]Read MoreOrlando Tragedy: Awareness and preparedness matters
Last week’s tragedy in Orlando is yet another example of our need as a country to massage narratives in our communities, schools and churches regarding lessons in tolerance. The mass shooting at Pulse nightclub is a perfect illustration of the breakdown in our human ecosystem which lacks tolerance of different lifestyle choices and belief systems.
Where are our children and families safe from violence born of ignorance and extreme intolerance? Recent tragedies in the U.S. have shown our children and families are not safe at church, school, movie theaters, malls and/or nightclubs. How do we prepare our love ones for potential threats that seem more real now after 9/11, than ever before? We would like to think we are raising our children and cultivating our families in a country that is not war-torn or in a constant state of civil unrest, but the truth is, we just don’t know what will happen next and we must be and teach our loved ones to be aware and prepared.
Here are some things to consider discussing with your children and loved ones about heightening their awareness and potentially surviving a mass shooting or attack:
- Prepare – Be aware that we live in a world where anything can happen at any time. Just knowing or being aware that it’s possible for you to be a victim of a random shooting is a step in the right direction. We no longer have the luxury of thinking that we are safe from randomness. Make sure that you are discussing crisis survival skills with your family. See the article.
- Assess – Be aware of your surroundings. Always pay attention to your surroundings. Put your darn cell phone down for a moment and assess your environment! Look at everything, locate exits, notice changes, notice energy/tension, notice whether or not things feel off or uneasy. Consider how others are interacting with one another. Most importantly, learn to follow your gut instinct or intuition.
- Implement – Be ready to take action. Through preparedness and awareness, you should be able to design a course of action and implement. Silence your cell phone, run, help others run, hide or fight. See the article.
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