Social Media and Co-Parenting with Ryan Kalamaya and Amy Goscha | Episode 89
According to surveys, around 90% of children aged 13-17 have used social media, and around 51% do so daily. Adults also use social media consistently—data shows that in 2018, 72% of US adults used at least one social media platform regularly.
Ryan and Amy discuss the pros, cons and relevant issues of social media and co-parenting. Below is an outline of their conversation.
Parents’ Use
Positives
- Enhanced communication
- Gaming with kids
- Accountability
- Photo Sharing
- Facetime with kids
- Organizational tools like shared calendars
Negatives
- Exposure/oversharing/privacy
- Opportunity for proxy wars
- New relationships
Things to Consider in Parenting Plan
- Posting pictures of kids?
- How will you handle social media regarding your children? For example, can you both make Facebook posts with your children in them? If so, what are the boundaries? Having these sorts of conversations can be uncomfortable, but it’s necessary to make sure no boundaries are crossed.
- How will you and your co-parent handle social media regarding each other? For example, can you make posts about each other? Can you communicate with one another using social media? If so, what are the guidelines? Is there a curfew for when you can communicate with one another? Answering these questions can help you have a more amicable co-parenting relationship.
- Updates on new relationships
- Kids following parents
Suggested Terms Re: The Parents’ Social Media
- “Parents shall not make disparaging statements about the other parent or a child on social media/networking sites to which the child may have access.”
- “Neither parent shall post nude or otherwise inappropriate photos of the child on an social media/networking site.”
Kids’ Use
- Do they have accounts or not?
- Establishing rules of what is appropriate to post
- Privacy settings
- Time limitations for kids
- You and your co-parent should set the same boundaries for how much time your child can spend on social media so that you don’t end up in a “good cop, bad cop” situation where your child has a different experience at each parent’s house.
- How will you adjust guidelines over time? As your child changes and your relationship with your co-parent evolves, you’ll want to change how you handle social media.
Suggested Terms Re: The Child’s Social Media
- “Neither parent shall establish an account (i.e. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat) for a child, or allow the child to do so, without the written consent of the other parent.”
- “Both parents shall have access to any social media/networking account belonging to the child to include users names and passwords.”
- “Both parents shall have access to a child’s electronics (i.e. laptop, i-pod, cell phone) to include username and password.”
- “Both parents shall have access to a child’s personal email account, to include username and password.”
What is Divorce at Altitude?
Ryan Kalamaya and Amy Goscha provide tips and recommendations on issues related to divorce, separation, and co-parenting in Colorado. Ryan and Amy are the founding partners of an innovative and ambitious law firm, Kalamaya | Goscha, that pushes the boundaries to discover new frontiers in family law, personal injuries, and criminal defense in Colorado.
If you have additional questions or would like to speak to one of our attorneys, give us a call at 970-429-5784 or email us at info@kalamaya.law.
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DISCLAIMER: THE COMMENTARY AND OPINIONS ON THIS PODCAST IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING LEGAL ADVICE. CONTACT AN ATTORNEY IN YOUR STATE OR AREA TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE ON ANY OF THESE ISSUES.