Child with a new smartphone? Make sure you discuss with them the safe way to use it.

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — If you are thinking about getting your child a smartphone this holiday season, it's essential to ensure your child is ready for one, stresses Macon County Sheriff Scott Flannery. WAND News sat down with Flannery to discuss the dangers he sees with social media and children.

Flannery adds considering the new generation's ample access to social media, teaching them how to be safe with these new apps is important.

“We’re seeing where we get children who get in trouble, when I say trouble, meaning getting themselves deeper than they need to in certain situations. It’s because of the apps. I think that parents’ ought to look in advance and find out what apps are out there,” said Flannery.

Flannery advises parents to keep an open communication channel with their children, especially when chatting with someone online, which is extremely important.

“If you ever get a friend’s request and you don’t know the person and physically meet that person face to face, then don’t accept it," Flannery added.

If they do accept, Flannery said the potential for predators to creep in becomes that much greater.

“All of a sudden, a friend of a friend of a friend, no one knows who that guy actually was…so I think a big one is just making sure that you’re aware of who their friends are.”

Flannery recommends a rule called hands-off. Whatever device the child is on, when the adult calls hands off, it means hands away from the device:

“Hands-off gives that opportunity, you know, that you can see instantly what they’re looking at. But again, by doing some research, just doing some simple parenting 101 and finding out how this works, you’ll find out.”

Although they may resist, Flannery said its important to teach your child, going through their phone is not a punishment, it is a matter of trust:

“Go through your kids text messages. I mean, its your phone. It’s their safety. They don’t like you doing it, but it’s for their own good."

Flannery also recommends taking your child's phone away at bedtime.

Adding when kids stay up late on their phones, it can lead to less sleep, and more opportunities for distractions like notifications keeping them awake.