Even before the lockdown, children have been aware of the “influencers” who seem to have taken over the Internet. In fact, a survey done by Morning Consult in 2019 revealed that a whopping 86% of people between 13 to 38 years old dream of becoming one. There is a possibility that it is higher now given the additional exposure of kids online. But what does it take to raise the next YouTube or Instagram star?
“Our kids are growing in a world where everyone is connected. A stranger can come from a different country and quickly like their photos or dance videos. Likewise, another can provide scathing remarks, or perhaps prey upon their innocence online. Amid all these possibilities, children direly need the guidance of parents. To think that our young ones can secure themselves online is alarming. It is like allowing them to commute on their own without enough training. It’s dangerous,” comments Stephan Neumeier, managing director for Asia-Pacific of global security brand Kaspersky (www.kaspersky.com).
“There is nothing wrong if your kid’s dream is to become a blogger or an influencer. It is like the older generation wanting to become famous singers or movie stars. What’s important is to support and guide our children on this endeavor. Arm your kids with the right mindset about success and failure, train them on how to balance their studies and their online activities. Most of all, educate them about the right tools and habits that will keep their online experience safe at all times,” he adds.
If you understand that your child would like to try on a role of a popular blogger, you need to prepare for it and help your child to do it as safely as possible.
Here are some advice that might be useful:
1. Remember that social networks is a way of communicating with a close circle of friends for your child. Do not turn private accounts into public ones. It is better to leave platforms where subscribers and trolls could bother the child. A private account should be closed to everyone except friends, relatives, teachers and other important people from real life.
2. Remind your child of his or her reputation. Explain that even if you put a lot of effort and time, the dream of becoming a blogger can still remain a dream. Moreover, everything that is posted on the Internet will remain on the Internet, and harsh remarks and radical assertions, for example, can lead to unpleasant explanations with a future boss, or problems with admission to a university. Therefore, explain to your child that, before yielding to his or her overly expressive vocabulary, he or she should think about other, more acceptable ways of expressing themselves.
3. Create an account for the public together with your child, but do not disclose any sensitive information—address, school number, phone, places you often visit, links to the pages of relatives. If the account really gains popularity, then any of this data can be used against your kid and your family. Teach your child what you need to keep track of what you are telling the whole world.
4. Tell your child about cyber-stalking. Cyber-stalking is online harassment that could potentially grow into real-world harassment.
5. Setup the security of all of your child’s social networking accounts, which have become a target of criminal organizations/individuals. To reduce opening up your child to risks, use anti-virus software, complex passwords that are different for all accounts, set two-factor authentication everywhere to receive one-time passwords sent to your phone number, and backup password recovery methods wherever possible.
6. Prepare your child for the troll invasion. Social media is replete with unpleasant personalities who have fun by mocking others. Explain to your child that whatever those people say shouldn’t be taken personally. Also remember that you definitely do not need to respond to unpleasant comments in your personal account.
7. Remind the child of the law. There are rather strict laws about behavior on the Internet in some countries. You and your child should first check if the topic chosen for the blog is safe to talk about.
Lastly, remember and remind your child: not everyone becomes an Instagram star; you need to put up with it and be prepared for it. Of course, if you decide to try to become a popular blogger, the mood should be positive, otherwise nothing will work out. Remember, the possibility of failure should not be considered as a potential tragedy of your whole life, but as a chance to try something else.