I’m sure parents that have been on LinkedIn long enough to know its benefits and want the same success for their kids must have at one point or the other thought about how early it is to teach their kids to use it.
And in that line of thought, one question that will pop on a lot of minds will be “Is it too early for my kids to learn and register on LinkedIn”?
Parents are bothered teaching their kids on LinkedIn earlier than required.
But one thing that most adults fail to realize on time is that learning is a constant and an integral part of a child’s early years in life.
From the primary first step to them saying their first words, kids quickly pick up new skills they are exposed to, and they courageously do this.
And why do you think this happens with or without your control as a parent?
It is because, as humans, learning is embedded into our existence.
Even as adults, we consciously or subconsciously learn every single day of our lives.
Over the years, research has proven that it only takes three years after a child is born for the brain to develop fully.
Also, science says it will only take eight years for their brain to be overly ripe for learning.
That means that whatever experience, interests, and interactions your child gets exposed to at an early stage are more likely to stick with them for the rest of their lives.
So in this crucial stage of their lives, parents and guardians play a vital role in their early days of learning.
Therefore, whatever they say or make impacts on these kids directly.
If you are a parent or guardian, you need to take note of this. And so, rather than talk down on them, try to fill their early days with encouragement, care and motivation.
It will give them a good head start in life and expand their horizons.
With that being said, I believe you now have a glimpse of the relevance of teaching and registering your kids about LinkedIn early enough, right?
But in case it isn’t still apparent to you, we will shed more light on some of those Benefits of LinkedIn in this article.
Keep reading!
Our fathers and ancestors didn’t meet or use most of the technologies and platforms available today, yet many of them were successful in their areas of interest.
Today, we can’t say the same for kids because technology has advanced so fast that most kids know how to use mobile phones before learning the ABC.
And before these kids get into their teens, they have already familiarized themselves with the digital world and various social media platforms.
The best part is that LinkedIn made it clear that kids from 13 or older can now register.
So, rather than allow them only to socialize and like pictures on social media platforms, you can jump on that opportunity and teach them about the business world of LinkedIn.
This is important because the earlier they also familiarize themselves and start building those connections on LinkedIn, the better.
So what are the benefits of LinkedIn?
The saying that the early birds catch the worms is closely related to another saying: make hay while the sun shines.
This means that the earlier your kids start learning what it takes to maintain a professional portfolio and build an excellent reputation, the better for all of you.
Teach them early enough what it means to get those connections and generate leads.
Teach them the essence of communicating professional and being responsible early enough, and they will thank you for it throughout their lifetime as an adult.
Once you start laying these foundational blocks, you’ve set them on the right path to success.
It is of great importance to have kids maintain a polished LinkedIn profile if you want them to apply for competitive colleges or go for an MBA.
Studies have shown that, more than ever, admission officers are increasingly checking their applicants’ social media accounts.
The reason being that curiosity is second to nature. And that type of curiosity most of the time leads to Google.
So while admission officers may decide to check on your child’s social media accounts to know how responsible they are, they may also decide to know if your child is already displaying the potentials of leading the park tomorrow on LinkedIn.
Again, universities worldwide have created one or two pages of their school on LinkedIn concerning their graduates and where they work after finishing their degree course as a source of inspiration to those yet to be admitted.
This can positively help your kids make the right school concerning the school that is right for them.
Early enough, kids can envision what or who they will like to be when they grow up.
Once you notice as a parent or guardian that your kids are already talking about this or displaying individual talents in specific fields, you have to help them express more confidence in pursuing it.
For kids showing interest in the business world, this is a great time to register them on LinkedIn and teach them how to join groups in their field that will discuss things that will further expand their imagination and ideology.
Bear in mind that these are some of the roots of personal branding.
It is crucial that you get your kids to learn and register on LinkedIn early enough because, in recent times, companies now use it to source and select candidates that would fit into the short-list of those interviewed.
Nurturing your kids enough about LinkedIn will help them stand out from the crowd when rare opportunities like this arise.
LinkedIn has also made things a lot easier for both parents and the kids by providing relevant information that helps you understand how specific competitions, scholarships and programmes run to attract the right attention.
This privilege makes LinkedIn a place that you can rely on to collect your wins and regularly update your professional story.
It will soon become a habit and hub where you can document what you have accomplished at different jobs and internships you have achieved.
Growing we used to lose contact with vital people that can immensely contribute to our growth.
Still, it doesn’t have to be that way anymore with our kids, as LinkedIn has made it easy to build and retain reliable networks and connections whenever they meet potential people.
By registering your kids on LinkedIn early enough, they will get guidance from their teachers, team coaches, school mentors, volunteer groups and so on before they graduate from school.
Moreover, these recommendations will assist them in validating their claims on their LinkedIn profile.
To further convince your prospects when they visit your kid’s profile, ensure the recommendations are coming from these mentors who are also registered on LinkedIn.
But if they aren’t on LinkedIn, you can get quotations from their recommendation letters and add them to the summary and experience section of your kid’s profile.
Social media is undoubtedly making kids smarter with each passing minute because of the volume of information they are exposed to.
Let’s not also forget that it also helps them sharpen their social skills, their cognitive abilities, improves their memory capacity and expands their critical thinking.
The more they are exposed to more information, the quicker it is for them to learn how to critically distinguish between useful information and the one that is not.
Platforms like LinkedIn can be a good source for your kids to follow up on newsletters and trends in whatever industry that they want to pursue a career in future.
Early LinkedIn exposure will help them feel more confident when discussing specific topics around other kids and adults.
A study revealed how social media influences kids to feel better about themselves.
It was carried out that 29% of teenagers who use various social media platforms feel less shy.
In comparison, 20% of them felt more confident about themselves than those that don’t.
Studies have also proven that kids who appear introverted and awkward around people can feel more confident when interacting on social media platforms.
It will help them develop a better understanding of how to communicate with their peers and others.
CONCLUSION
In our closing remarks, you must know that you need to familiarize yourself with LinkedIn before you can take up the responsibility of teaching your kids to follow your path.
So if you’re among those that set up a LinkedIn profile many years ago and abandoned it, then it’s time to revisit and stay up to date with trends and developments that you must have missed over time.
Also, know that your kids are bound to learn faster from you than others, so you need to act quickly.
Thanks for reading!