Whatsapp is a communication app that most parents will have some experience of already, which is useful for parents. Exploring the app together with your child to demonstrate how to use this app safely is the perfect way to show them you trust them with this method of digital communication. Agreeing on who your child can and cannot talk to via this app is a good first step. Emphasising that only sharing messages with friends and family who are already known to them will help keep your child safe.
What is Whatsapp?
Whatsapp is a popular instant messaging app used by adults and teens. It includes group messaging features and allows users to share images, videos & files between themselves. Whatsapp is available for download on all popular devices through the Apple app store or the Google Play store for free.
How do I set up an account?
Download the app from your preferred app store. Agree to the terms of service when prompted. Register your number as prompted by the directions on the app. Next, set up a profile with your name, you can add a profile photo at this step too. Now you’re ready to go!
What should parents look out for?
Contacts
Whatsapp is notorious for strangers beginning conversations with people they do not know. This is often done for scamming purposes. Remind your child that individuals who contact them out of the blue are rarely doing so for innocent purposes. Let them know they can always tell you if this does happen to ask for advice on the situation.
Blocking another user
If your child would like to block another user who they do not know or is bothering them they can take the following steps.
- Open Whatsapp and proceed to the ‘More Options’ tab.
- Tap ‘Settings’ and then go to the ‘Account’ tab.
- Proceed to ‘Privacy’
- Tap the ‘Blocked contacts’ tab. You can then add the contact you want to block from Whatsapp.
- You can also block a contact by opening a chat with the individual. Proceed to the ‘More options’ tab, select ‘More’ and then tap the ‘Block’ option. You can also choose the ‘Block & Report’ option if necessary.
Reporting an account
It is useful to show your child how to report another user who has initiated a conversation with them that they do not know. These steps from the Whatsapp website below explain this process. Explaining to your child calmly that people they do not know may not have good intentions in befriending them via this digital medium will help them to understand why they should report such users. Make sure they are aware that they can always approach you about anything they see online and can always check in with you if they are unsure about anything.
- Open the chat.
- Tap on the contact or group name to open their profile information.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Report contact or Report group
File sharing
Whatsapp allows for the sharing of videos, images & files in conversations. This is a great feature as it allows you to share photos to add interest or explanation to your conversations, however it can be dangerous for young people as images and videos shared on this app cannot be removed once sent. It is worth having a conversation on the nature of privacy to underline how important it is for them to be responsible about what they share online with others.
Remind your child that anything that they send that is sexual in nature can be saved by the other person forever and can also be shared to others. The key to having such conversations with your teen is to avoid a ‘nagging’ tone and instead adopt an empathetic, questioning tone. Asking your teen questions on what they think about the subject in a non-judgemental manner will let you know where they stand on the subject, before you dispense advice. Remind them gently of the possible repercussions of such images being shared to someone other than who they originally trusted them with. Inform them that most people who are requesting such images generally do not have their best interests at heart and even the strongest of relationships can break down, which could lead to a betrayal of trust with their images used as a bargaining chip. Although this is a difficult conversation for parents to have with their teen, it is more important than ever as ‘sexting’ is a widespread practice among young people. There is some wonderful advice on this subject here if you would like to know more: https://www.netnanny.com/blog/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-sexting/
Group chats
Your child can be added to group chats with a variety of people, even people that are not their contacts. Some of the others in this group may be unknown to them and the groups can be harmful in nature. You can change the settings on their account to prevent this from happening. Proceed through the following steps to change this: ‘More Options > Settings > Privacy > Groups > Change to ‘My Contacts’.
Location Sharing
WhatsApp shows other users your location which parents should turn off on your child’s account when they first set everything up. To do this, go to the Settings tab and then go to > Privacy within the app.
Time on the app
Social media can become a time drain on your child. Many children don’t recognise the addictive nature of social media and can quickly become pressurised into being ‘always online’ in order to respond to messages instantaneously. If you are worried that they are spending too much time on the app, take some time to discuss the issue with your child in a calm, understanding manner. Whatsapp allows users to set their ‘active’ status, changing this removing ‘read’ time receipts on messages can stop your child from feeling under so much pressure constantly respond to incoming messages. To turn off read receipts
Digital Etiquette
Teaching your child good digital etiquette and emphasising the potential permanency of conversations online is important.
- Remind them that it is always good to discuss difficult or potentially volatile conversations in person, rather than online.
- Emphasise that respecting others’ privacy is as important online as it is in person. They should not share their friend’s secrets or share anything sent to them with others that would violate another’s privacy. Teaching your child the value of respecting others in the digital sphere is an important life skill for children to learn.
- Learning when is the right time to leave a conversation digitally is also a good skill to teach your child, as it is easy to type a message in the heat of the moment and then regret it!
Do not be afraid to allow your child (once at an appropriate age) to explore social media. Our children are growing up to be extremely digitally savvy. They will naturally want to explore what is out there and connect with their friends on what is new and exciting. Digitally safe children are children who are not afraid to share their online experiences with their parents. Be open to learning about new technologies that they are interested in sharing with you, while consistently teaching your children to remain respectful of themselves and others online.
