Writing A Social Media Contract for Your Kids

Navigating your kid’s online and social media life can be overwhelming and often downright frustrating. For most of us we feel like we’re simply reacting to sticky, upsetting and sometime dangerous situations. In our defense this is all new to our generation of parents. We didn’t have anyone model to us how to teach our kids how to conduct themselves in an appropriate way online because our parents didn’t have to worry about text etiquette, online pitfalls or social media missteps. We are pioneer parents!

In our family we have created a social media contract to set the ground rules for our kids’ social media and online life. Our strategy is if we set a standard it will help our kids understand what is expected of them. It’s a baseline and a good way to get the conversation about social media started with your kids.

Here is our contract. Feel free to use it as a starting place for your own family’s contract or you can download it below.

Our Family’s Social Media and Online Contract

We believe that having a phone and using a computer is a privilege, not a necessity. We have created this contract for you – INSERT YOUR DARLING CHILD’S NAME – to protect and teach you the best and most appropriate way to conduct yourself online and on social media.

Please read these carefully then sign below:

1. Your user name/password for all of your accounts and

devices is —- >>

2. You will not share your password with anyone but your parents.
3. You must ask permission before joining or signing up for a new social media network.
4. You will logoff all screens at 8 p.m.
5. You are responsible for anything you share online. You share it, you said it. Sharing of inappropriate items will result in consequences.
6. You may not have private conversations (direct messages) with anyone you don’t know on any social network or text messaging.
7. No inappropriate language in texts or any other communication.
8. Don’t be mean. Remember it’s never funny to be mean or rude.
9. You will never arrange to meet in person someone you met online.
10. You will tell a parent if anyone threatens you or anyone else online or through messaging.
11. You will not be secretive or deceptive. Don’t lose the trust you’ve earned to use your device.
12. You will reply within a reasonable amount of time to your parent’s texts. Not doing so will result in the loss of your phone/iPad for the equal amount of time you didn’t respond.

Sign below if you understand that any violation of these rules will result in loss of your devices. As a reminder, your phone, computer and tablets belong to us as long as you live with us.

__________________________________________

Child’s signature

__________________________________________

Parent’s signature

Download the contract here: