If your child is under 18, you can just tell them they aren't allowed to have social media.

But if you want to give them a little more freedom to make their own decisions, along with some motivation to make good ones, a $100 investment each year isn't all that steep. Lorna Goldstrand Klefsaas said it was some of the best money she's spent.

In 2016 she challenged her son, Sivert Klefsaas, to go the next six years without using social media, with the promise to give him $1,800 when he turned 18.

Sivert admitted that at 12 his concept of money wasn't the greatest, so $1,800 was a lot more motivating at the time, but because of his competitive nature, he stuck it out, just as his mom suspected he would.

Lorna got the idea after hearing of someone doing a similar challenge with their child, and after dealing with the negative effects of social media with her older children, decided it was worth the investment.

When Sivert turned 18 on February 19, 2022, he cashed in on his prize money and had the satisfaction of having stuck to a challenge for six whole years. Not a lot of 18-year-olds can say that.

Now that he's 18, he has joined Instagram, but says that,

It's hilarious. I feel like I'm like 80. I can't seem to figure out social media. It's pretty embarrassing. I'll be with my friends, and they are like, 'what are you doing?'

Sivert says that at 18, he has the maturity to handle social media that he wouldn't have had at age 12.