We can now access any piece of information we want from anywhere in the world at anytime! That in itself is an insane feat that I’m sure all of our ancestors would be blown away by. Is this necessarily a good thing? For international relations and globalisation yes it is, but for our children’s mental health, for OUR mental health, I’m not so sure.

Children don’t need to see floods in Bangladesh, mass shootings in the US or hear about a tourist who got into trouble crossing a border in Dubai. There is enough going on for them in their own lives, in their own country. Accessing the struggles of a collective 8.1 billion people all around the world just on the tablet in front of a 9 year child. That’s crazy and that’s damaging.

Here a some tips and things to consider when protecting your child from the news.

1. Avoid talking near children

Kids pick up on things. They can sense you are talking about something bad or something shocking. You may think they are distracted with toys or in another room so can’t hear you but children pick up on parts of the conversation. They might be standing by their door quietly listening as you talk on the phone. They might look like they are playing with dolls but are actually attentively listening to all the things you say with your friend over a cup of tea. So be mindful about talking in the house about awful atrocities around the world.

2. Observe their playing

Children communicate through the form of play. They use play to act out real world scenarios and practise how they should react when in these scenarios. That’s why family role play, doctor role play and heroes and villains are all such common forms of imaginative play. They exist in the real world, but to make sense of it, a child creates play based scenarios! If you notice that their play recently has been quite specific and graphic. For example, helicopters crashing, or lots of people dying all at once this may be a sign that your child has been exposed to information that they are trying to make sense of. When the twin towers were destroyed it was discovered in play therapy that children affected during the event played more imaginative games involving air transport crashes. It is important to observe your child’s play as here they could communicate any worries and harmful information they have picked up. If your child does display specific or violent play you may want to dig a little deeper and ask the where, why, what, how, who questions to find out why they are bringing such scenarios into the world of play.

3. Restrictions on Social Media

Social media can be a horrible place with detrimental consequences for a young mind. Open communication about social media is necessary as children should be made aware of the fake news, AI creates images, and leaked explicit videos/photos that spread around. One of the main things to monitor is who your child is following on Instagram or who your child is subscribed to on Youtube etc. What content does your child choose to watch and who are these people. If your child is following lots of accounts that promote hate speech and violence then that is obviously a red flag your child is watching content that is harmful. The reason why its so important to know who your child is watching is because once you start going down a particular path of videos, the algorithm of social media sites will push similar recommended videos and suggest similar content for your child to watch. Therefore if your child looks for content about particular wars going on, they will likely be recommended other videos that focus on news about wars. Try to engage with them about social media use rather than against them. Follow the same content creators, have open discussions and suggest good content creators for them watch. If you find that your child is watching harmful content it may be wise to start enforcing some ground rules e.g. until the age of 16 you have to let your parents know what accounts you are following. Sometimes children can lie and create new accounts to get around these enforced rules which is why the next point is so crucial!

4. Open Communication

Practise open communication with your child and don’t be afraid to ask questions. I like to always ask the kids I look after if anything is worrying them, especially children that use social media. Conversation starters such as “yeah social media can show some crazy things sometimes, have you seen anything horrible come up on your feed before?”. This advice is not just for parents, in fact quite the opposite, this advice works best with outsiders who don’t give off the parental concern for the child. If you know a teenager or younger child, just be friends and talk with them. If anything comes up that you think is not right, let the parents know. Children sometimes find it easy to talk about world issues and concerns with other trusted adults. As a parent you can use the help of others to talk with your child if you suspect something is wrong and they are accessing harmful content on their devices. The wider community is so important in helping children express their thoughts and can offer great advice on content to watch. If you find someone trusted you can rely on to give your child great advice, let them talk!

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or topics you would like me to discuss in future blogs please send an email to: nannyemmyquestions@gmail.com