ANALYSIS: How young is too young for Tik Tok or Instagram?
. For example, children with mental health problems, learning difficulties, a disability or who have problems at home are more likely to experience high-risk situations online.Is my child especially vulnerable to online harms?
Does my child have the required maturity and resilience to manage potentially negative online social interactions?Is my child aware of the risks, and do they have strategies for managing them?Parents might also consider their children's offline lives, as these often carry over into online spaces. This includes what their friendships are like, their propensity for taking risks, and their ability to consider the consequences of their actions.
Many issues that play out on social media are extensions of young people's existing peer relationships. Parents can talk to their children about their friends and peers, show an interest in their child's online activities, and openly discuss their child's rights and responsibilities online. Some parents may wish to set reasonable expectations and rules about appropriate use of social media. Documenting these expectations through a "family technology agreement" that is negotiatedCatherine Page Jeffrey is a lecturer in media and communications at the University of Sydney. This piece first appeared on