NASHVILLE, Tenn. — An associate professor in Middle Tennessee State University’s School of Journalism and Strategic Media, Matthew Taylor wants to help keep children safe on social media.

As a parent to a teenager and tween, he understands firsthand the struggle it can be when deciding to allow your child on any social platform. On Friday, March 21, Taylor visited WKRN-TV News 2 for the university’s “MTSU on 2” segment to discuss the pros and cons of allowing your child to have social media accounts.

You can watch the segment, part of the station’s Local on 2 programming, with program co-host and producer Laura Schweizer and co-host Stephanie Langston below.

“Social media is a tool. Like any tool, the risks of harm are greater if you don’t have training,” Taylor said. “Unfortunately, these platforms don’t come with user manuals. That means parents need to educate themselves to help their children develop a healthy relationship with technology.”

The first step is deciding whether to allow your child to use social media, but many other steps follow, Taylor said.

“Managing social media use involves a series of decisions that help chart the path that works best for your family,” Taylor said. “There is no single right answer. It’s a matter of making informed choices, establishing boundaries, and modeling that behavior in the home.”

While safety is always a concern when children are online, Taylor said there can be some benefits to allowing your children to be on social media.

“Social media can provide a sense of social connection, foster creative skills, and contribute to media literacy,” Taylor said. “It’s not all bad.” 

If all of this seems overwhelming, there are resources to help parents decide what is best for them and their families.

Two resources Taylor recommends are:

• The Center for Humane Technology
• The Ask Lisa podcast episodes on screen time and social media

To learn more about programs offered in MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment, visit https://media.mtsu.edu/.

— DeAnn Hays (deann.hays@mtsu.edu)

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