I am not an influencer. I am not a paid advertiser. I am barely on social media. But I definitely scroll the feed from time to time. Always to my own dismay. I end up losing 20 minutes of my life. And for what? To watch other people’s lives? To be totally honest that isn’t always the case. A lot of what I follow is inspirational in some aspect of my life or otherwise full of tips for those said areas. Such as health, entrepreneurship, parenting and mental wellness. The effect is the same though. So now my question is, how much is ok?

There are some very real downfalls to social media. Misinformation, hate, racism and bullying to name a few.

And there are also some really wonderful benefits. I can consume knowledge in bite size chunks, it helps entrepreneurs make a living and there is a lot of funny stuff out there spreading joy.

Where should we stop though? Should littles be on it as guests making cameos or using it themselves? Is it ok to be active on it, engaging with people that resonate with you? Should it only be in the privacy of your bedroom late at night?

These are never going to be black and white answers but overall we should at least be questioning. This is our one life to be able make an impact and you may need social media for that.

But we should really think about our children using it at all. This starts them off on a bad foot. One where the connection made online is more important than in person. It sets them up for others to start commenting on and to them and we know those trolls and how they act. Kids don’t have the emotional maturity to know that something they post could be incredibly embarrassing later in life. They also don’t often know how to spot a predator online.

Here are some tips to keep kids off social media for as long as you can.

1. Do not give them a mobile device of their own.

Lots of people laugh and balk at this. But a great way to keep them from doing things online that you don’t want them to, is not giving them the means to do it. Can they play on your iPad of course, with your supervision. I attempted to give my son an iPod when he was 13. He simply could not handle staying off social media when he had the access. I took it away and he did not get another device until he was 16.

2. Connect with your kids is meaningful ways.

Push the agenda of the old ways. Such as playing outside (supervised of course) and being with people in real life (also safely given the current times). Don’t make social connection on an app. Find groups to join with your kids where you meet other people. Cultivate a healthy group of friends with kids. Connection is truly what it is all about.

3. Get off your phone.

These are all hard things to implement. But being the example is truly the hardest. You don’t want kids who want phones? Get off yours. Kids ALWAYS model after parents. They know what they see their parents do. This goes for anything of course. Currently working on not yelling when I get frustrated. Why? Because they sound like me when they get frustrated. And I do not like it. But I digress. If you are active they are active. If they see you making human connections that is what they do. You live to read? So do they.

I know that these are all hard things to do and sometimes screen time is inevitable. But we have a chance to use that screen time for educational purposes and not just to drown them out. A little peace and quiet is always great but let’s just make sure that the next generation doesn’t come out forgetting how to be with other people. Let’s make sure real connection is important.

Do you let your kids on social media? Why or why not?