Encourage positive online behaviour

When used thoughtfully, social media can be a really positive experience for both you and your teenager. Here are some ways you can demonstrate positive online behaviour and encourage your teenager to do the same.

Lead by example

Engaging with social media in a healthy, respectful way is a great way to show your child what is and isn't okay to do online. Here are examples of positive online behaviour that you can model for your teen.

• Keep privacy settings up-to-date. Learning how to manage your privacy makes it easier to show your teen how to stay on top of theirs. Read more about managing privacy settings on social media.

• Think before you post. Ask yourself if your post or comment is constructive and respectful before you share it.

• Don’t hide behind your profile picture. If you wouldn’t say something to someone’s face, don’t say it to them online.

• Set boundaries for online connections. Being selective about who follows you (e.g. only people you know in real life or only people who are verified) helps to demonstrate that boundaries in the online world are just as important as those in real life.

• Demonstrate respectful disagreements online. If someone online shares an opinion you disagree with, treat them with the same respect you would give them face-to-face. Report troll-like or bullying behaviour instead of engaging with it.

Being 'friends' with your teenager online

Connecting with your teenager on social media can be a great way to bond and keep an eye on their online behaviour. Here are a few things to keep in mind when friending or following your teen:

• Respect their space. Social media is a personal space for your teenager, just like when they hang out with their friends offline. Try to give them space by not liking or commenting on every single thing they post online. 

• Talk offline about their online behaviour. If something happens on your teenager's social media page and you feel like you need to step in, do it offline. Commenting on their social media about personal issues is not really appropriate, and won’t encourage trust and respect in your relationship. Instead, talk in person about what happened online and how they could respond in a more positive way.

• Give them privacy. Young people are pretty savvy with technology, and they may have worked out how to block you from seeing some posts. It’s important that you respect their privacy, and have a chat with them if you feel that they are not being open or transparent enough.

Practise accountability

It may not always feel like it, but online behaviour can have real world impacts. You play an important role in helping your teenager understand the consequences of their behaviour online. You can do this by:

• Reflecting on your own online behaviours and modelling positive online experiences.

• Having a conversation with your teen about respectful online interactions. If they wouldn’t say it to someone face-to-face, then they shouldn’t say it online.

• Ensuring your teen knows that the things they do online can be traced back to them, even if they’re using a fake or anonymous profile. 

• Treating cyberbullying and trolling as seriously as bullying in the playground. If you see your child participating in cyberbullying, trolling or other anti-social behaviour online, talk to them face to face about their actions. If your child is being bullied online, show them how to block the individual and report it offline, with their school or the police.