Parents, sometime your kids will want a phone because all of their friends have them. They will also ask for social media networks like Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter. You can allow them to have those accounts but make sure you go over with your kids how to stay safe on the internet.

The first thing you tell your children is don't let people they don't talk to on a regular basis follow them on social media. Someone could be posing as someone in your child's class and want to get personal information about your kids. The kids should never tell anyone they don't know their address, phone number, or any other information. 56% of teenagers are asked by strangers for their personal information according to Polly Klaas Foundation 2006. Their accounts should always stay private because that way no random person can find their account and look at it.

Next, you should check your kids' social media accounts on a regular basis. You need to make sure your children aren't posting anything inappropriate or never post a photo with the location of where it was taken. This helps stop people coming to your house and maybe breaking in when they know that someone isn't at home.

Another thing that parents can do is make sure your kids aren't being bullied online. Over 50% of teens have experienced some form of cyber bullying and about 20% are victims of cyber bullying regularly according to Online Bullying Statistics. If you notice your child is acting differently and not as outspoken they may be the victim of bullying. Establish a relationship with you child so they can talk to you if they ever get bullied.

Finally, you can limit the amount of time they spend on social media. Some kids will never put down their phones if their parents don't establish limits on how often they can spend on technology.

My mom had me sign a contract before I was allowed having social media. It said that I wouldn't let people follow me who I didn't know and it also said my mom could check my phone at any point.