By: Natasha Archary
With access to smartphones and the notion that “if you’re not living digitally, you’re not living at all,” it’s safe to say that almost everyone is on social media today. Yes, even your parents. As much as Sizwe Dhlomo is against his parents being on social media, how does one deal with parents who are online?
The team covered setting boundaries with family previously and perhaps that’s one of the key factors to dealing with parents who are on social media.
Privacy settings for the win!
Sizwe is adamant his mom, especially should not be on social media. His reasons are similar to many of the Kaya Drive listeners who echoed that their parents should not be on social media.
Wanting to protect his family is understandable, being in the public eye places a target on his loved ones’ backs. So, it’s only fair that Siz would not want his mom following him on Instagram.
As adults, social media serves as a convenient way for family members to keep in touch so maybe it’s a bit extreme to say parents have no reason to be online.
Facebook and WhatsApp are two of the most popular apps when it comes to connecting with instant messaging and keeping updated on what’s happening in someone’s life by following their stories.
The average teenager will probably cringe too if their parents are on social media. A 2016 survey found that most parents spent about 9-hours a day on social media.
Most grew up as native internet users and the “digital culture” is different between those children compared to parents whose lives were thrown a social media curveball.
What’s more is that the digital era is not going away, so it couldn’t hurt for parents to be more digitally savvy right?
These are some of the reasons parents use social media:
- To keep updated on the news
- Connect with friends and family
- Support groups or to network with like-minded people
- Share advice on parenting and/or lifestyle hacks
- Emotional support
- Online dating
Kaya Drive listeners weighed in on how to deal with parents who are on social media:
Also read: Dad’s side of the family: Setting boundaries could help



