How important is Social media to Homeschooling children?

 Question :  Social Media

How important is Social media to Homeschooling children?
(Twitter, Facebook, instagram. ..etc )

 
 Iraj : 

Depends on the age of children.I think that children under 14 should not be allowed to use all these apps.After 14 they can use their parents cell under careful watch
 

Samar :

How to execute it. Just today I attended my 5 yrs old 's parent teacher meeting and his teacher was saying though he's very smart he is not focused and that is due to his playing games on these devices.

Samar : I haven't come across Facebook and social media app issues yet as both my sons are under 10 but I fear what will happen once they get awareness of these apps
 

Mrs  AH:  2 sons,aged 7 and 15

I would like to first point out that ,although they can both lead to addictive patterns,games and social media have different basic implications.As mentioned above, games(especially for younger kids) have the potential to slow down mental processes like focus,memory,reality check etc. Individuals gradually become disconnected from the real world surrounding them.Yes,this also applies to the so called educational/skill developing games.

Social media,on the other hand, becomes a preoccupation that demands more and more of one's time,attention and contribution. All is fine if done for a specific productive  purpose but more often than not this is not the case.If you don't have a specific goal in mind to achieve with this platform and the sole purpose is to just hang out, you might as well just sit on the roadside and sip tea and gossip all day...you'll be as efficient as that.

Even for those who start out with a specific purpose and have productive friends online,the danger of subconscious suggestions is still there and it leads many a time to wasted time (you know how kids always want to click on the flashy ads)

I must say,though,that it also depends very much on what type of personality you have, how susceptible you are to suggestions etc but whatever the personality, a young individual would not have enough control over it to stop when the situation calls for it.

 

MN: 

My son use to do origami and sometimes do science experiments by watching videos on Youtube....is that right?

 

SAA: 3 sons, 2 daughters/ ages 16 to 7

The social media is an important profile resource about you

The connection you have
And the connection you make following your interest give you the company of like minded people

Exposure to a lot of bad things but also
Immense variety of very good initiative

Learning to navigate the internet seas
And learning to engage social interest in your cause can help their future
Cause eventually all Business' will go online
Either he will have to do it for his own or be hired to do it for some one

But Facebook is an immense waste of time
I don't see the point of scrolling down to see what everyone else is doing liking sharing

I think a different user format maybe 
In which maybe forums are objective based
Then there is Snapchat or Messenger or Whatsapp all creative ways of communicating but again waste a lot of time

Then Twitter Instagram
For me those are for a few bear leaders to lead rest of masses to follow mindlessly

In all that what do you do for your kid
That's my question please
It's like this
Do we throw them in the sea so they somehow learn to swim
Cause it's like
Every other learning they must do
It should be intrinsic

Though I am nibbling a thought
As Ummibaps said our kids need us
Boys there fathers guidance and girls there mothers
Then why let them surf this social encounter without our shelter and guidance
Shall we form a family friend network on the internet and social media where we shepherd all the community kids

 

Eng. Shumaela: 

SAA creating a network of friend and family will not save the kids from the harms that they will get from Internet.

Internet is too open and everything is a few clicks away. Plus games and social media show you content that they want to show you. So even in private network your kids will looking at offensive material that would not like them to see.
Keeping kids away from Internet is also not good. Instead teaching them how to swim in this ocean can be a better idea.

Social media doesn't contribute in learning,  similarly games and even educational games are not really beneficial. But yes there are tons of good things and material that is useful.

I think as parent we should teach or kids what to do on Internet and what not. Social media should be a big no no. It is useless not only for kids but also for elders. We waste hundreds of hours here and they gain money. So you are giving them time and money both.

 

Sb : 2 sons and 1 daughter

Depending on their age and level of maturity, our children need to learn to navigate the internet the same way we teach them to navigate roads.

Trying to shield them forever is foolish.
Infact, shielding them too long will put them at a disadvantage. The way lessons are taught,  business conducted and contacts made has changed dramatically in the last 10 years.
 

SAA: Have you heard the saying
Teach children and the forget
Engage them and they learn
 

Ummibaps: 

As salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Sisters....The question pertains to Social Media in particular. ....things like Facebook ,  Twitter,  Snapchat

Internet usage is a broader topic. ...

Just a reminder so as to decrease confusion for mothers with children who are too small for social media

Please focus your answers on the above only

Yes. ..They can be discussed as separate topics
 

Sarah : 

 At what age do you guys recommend teaching the children how to use the computer.
 

Areeba :

 As homeschooled kids we were allowed on Facebook but for a set time. We didn't have access to it on our phones those days & the computer in the lounge where everyone could see the screen. My mom would sometimes would also read our posts and messages.

I think teaching kids "Balance" is the key.
During exam days & other important events we always had to deactivate Facebook account. It was a deal

 

Farheeda :

 🏻good idea even very good idea
 

Ummibaps: 8 sons, 1 daughter / 2yrs to 18yrs

I find it perturbing that all parents agree that lying is sinful .....yet when it comes to making a Facebook/Google account etc,  they allow their children to lie about their date of birth and ages.....If a child is too young to make an account then the child should not have an account to begin with....

Depending on the the circumstances of the child, older children may want to use a form of social media to build their relationship with their friends...just like a parent should stay tuned with what type of friends their children have...We should make an effort to stay tuned with who are they communicating with and how they use these tools of socialization. ...

(Just like real time socialization,  expect them to make mistakes and help them.learn from them )

Like any form media ; even television or Internet usage, a child may not know how much is too much and so the parents need to monitor and limit usage...( you wouldn't want your child to spend all day for several days with a friend talking in a room nor on the phone)

Keep computers and tablet usage in public parts of the home...so that it can be glanced at by parents easily
As the children mature into adulthood things will change....but parents  can continue talking and guiding their children. .....reminding them that if they post something on social media...its not really "private".....as soon as you put something out there ,  you've made it public...

My personal opinion
 

SAAA: 

Jazzak Allah for the all round guidelines
How do you stay tuned with your child's social media network?

For me if my child's friends are liking or sharing useless inappropriate matter is serious problem
I take him to account on that
Cause the friends we keep reflect our interests and intellect
Sometimes I think I'm smothering him with responsibility he cannot very much manage

But other times when he is able to convince his playmates or friends to be careful and socially responsible in their sharing
I think it might be my sons first learning regarding his own social and Islamic responsiblity in dawa toward Haq

Either way it's a very difficult path and do cause much friction between us
Where he refuses to take responsibility of his friends action
And sometimes  

He accepts that the initiative of correction
Help in earning respect of his peers
 

Ummibaps: 

Yup....its a hands on learning experience and can be different for individual children. ...whereas one may like all the rubbish his friends " like" , another may only focus on sports related stuff.....One may accept everyone as a"  friend " another may only invite his personal friends....

My husband and I got back in Facebook to keep an eye on our children's pages....Our sons have also "friend"ed some of my husband's friends,  who also visit our children's pages periodically. ...

I also occasionally "raid" their Facebook page. ..where I sit with them and view the page and their contacts list...

Not a perfect way to handle things but it's how things are moving along for the moment....
  

SAA:

Ditto
It's
So droll
Me ready to be scandalized and him squirming from apprehension

And more now then before when he gets off without any of his friends offending my sensibilities
He is whooping with delight

Also on very important note
Freedom/independence and privacy is earned by achieving maturity
Which is sense of responsibility
They will have their right of privacy and freedom when they are responsible enough
 

Sb: 

Jazakallah for this honest insight on how you are monitoring your children.

My eldest is still not old enough for social media, nor does he feel the need for it.

He does want to freely talk/chat to his Mamu, so let i him use my hangouts account. That way I can also monitor his internet behavior.
 

QUA‬: 

To Love & Protect a Child in a Digital World | TODAY.com
http://community.today.com/parentingteam/post/to-love-protect-a-child-in-a-digital-world

  (Note: The above is a copy of a Whatsapp conversation,   partly edited for clarity)