OLDHAM COUNTY, Ky. - A group of parents at South Oldham Middle School took time out of a busy work week to listen and share their strategies for making sure the use of apps like Tik Tok, Twitter, Instagram don't get out of hand for their middle schoolers, who like most are usually glued to their phones.
"There's a lot of tools out there that try and help you manage this but there's even more tools that tell kids how to get around this," Trent Ingrim said.
Trent Ingrim has two middle schoolers and says sometimes managing it all can feel like a full time job.
"My son takes this as a game to try and see if he can go around what dad has put in," Ingrim said.
A panel experts were also on hand to offer resources.
"Watching what your kid is doing on social media is a commitment it's going to take more than one conversation it's going to take just day in day out talking with your kids. Having basic communication with your kids to find out what is going on with them,"Mental Health Therapist David Houvenagle said.
He's seen first-hand through his work how big of an impact social media can have on bullying and how it can act as a breeding ground for sexual predators
"Is your child is talking to someone and person is saying i don't know if we should be doing this that person could be an adult if that person is discussing anatomy if they are discussing sexual things on the other end that person could be an adult," Houvenagle said.
Experts say parents should look out for these five warning flags when it comes to tracking your kids on social media
- Cyberbullying
- Online predators
- Inappropriate content
- Oversharing
- Digital Kidnapping of Personal Photos
Ingrim is hopeful this kind of open dialogue continues and that more parents will step up.
"I sure wish they were a lot more parents that were involved because you know it is a status symbol for kids everybody has to have a phone and you just wish you were all in this battle together rather than trying to piece meal it together as an individual parent," Ingrim said.
Parents should also check in with their kid's school district to see what policies are in place.