I think that thinking social media should be a normal part of young children's lives is a bad thing.
It is parental responsibility to be aware of what social media apps your child has access to and not allow them access to ones like Snapchat and Instagram.
Part of the responsibility of being a parent is knowing when it's the right time to say no and to be consistent in the behaviour rules you expect you children to follow.
I think parents today are getting lazy and instead of actively taking part in their children's lives it's much easier to let them waste their time on social media leaving the parents free to do their things whether it is watching sports or drinking wine or other adult-only activities.
I have a friend who is being a good grandparent. When his grandchildren come to visit, their smart phones are put away and he plays chess with them or takes them skateboarding or fishing or hiking and showing them wildlife in the area, showing them there is more to life than being on social media.
More parents could follow his example and reduce the risk that social media can be for their children.
And yes, it is always easy to find excuses for why some parents don’t have the time to spend with their children. Maybe it is time to rethink your values for what can be more important than being sure that the next generation has had the best start possible. The future of this world depends on that.
It ultimately is the responsibility of all parents to do what is necessary to protect their children from harm either physical or psychological and no law enforcement policy can do that for them.
If social media had its way, we'd all just be more twits on Twitter.
Darrel Florence,
Cremona
