| Social
Networking Sites: A Parent's Guide
With
a recent influx of social media websites influencing
our daily lives, the Hollister Police Department has
put together a list of best practices to help keep you
and your family safe while using social media websites.
The following information was obtained from several
advocacy groups and agencies for the purposes of giving
parent's answers to the common pitfalls that can occur
while their children use social media websites.
It's
10 p.m. Do you know where your children are?
Remember
that phrase from your own childhood? It's still a valid
question, but now, it comes with a twist: Do you know
where your kids are and who they're chatting with
online?
Social
networking sites have morphed into a mainstream medium
for teens and adults. These sites encourage and enable
people to exchange information about themselves, share
pictures and videos, and use blogs and private messaging
to communicate with friends, others who share interests,
and sometimes even the world-at-large. And that's why
it's important to be aware of the possible problems
that come with networking online.
Some
social networking sites attract pre-teens even kids
as young as 5 or 6. These younger-focused sites don't
allow the same kinds of communication that teens and
adults have, but there are still things that parents
can do to help young kids socialize safely online. In
fact, when it comes to young kids, the law provides
some protections and gives parents some control over
the type of information that children can disclose online.
For sites directed to children under age 13, and for
general audience sites that know they're dealing with
kids younger than 13, there's the Children's Online
Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). It requires these sites
to get parental consent before they collect, maintain,
or use kids' information. COPPA also allows parents
to review their child's online profiles and blog pages.
If a website is violating COPPA, report it to the Federal
Trade Commission.
Parents
sometimes can feel outpaced by their technologically
savvy kids. Technology aside, there are lessons that
parents can teach to help kids stay safer as they socialize
online.
source
Federal Trade Commission
Help
Kids Socialize Safely Online
The
Hollister Police Department urges parents to talk to
their children about social networking sites, and offers
these tips for using social media websites safely:
-
Help
your kids understand what information should be
private.
Tell them why it's important to keep some things
about themselves, family members and friends
to themselves. Information like their full name,
Social Security number, street address, phone
number, and family financial information like
bank or credit card account numbers is private
and should stay that way. Tell them not to choose
a screen name that gives away too much personal
information.
-
Use
privacy settings to restrict who can access and
post on your child's website. Some
social networking sites have strong privacy settings.
Show your child how to use these settings to limit
who can view their online profile, and explain
to them why this is important.
-
Explain
that kids should post only information that you
and they are comfortable with others seeing.
Even
if privacy settings are turned on, some or even
all of your child's profile may be seen by a
broader audience than you're comfortable with.
Encourage your child to think about the language
used in a blog, and to think before posting pictures
and videos. Employers, college admissions officers,
team coaches, and teachers may view your child's
postings. Even a kid's screen name could make
a difference. Encourage teens to think about the
impression that screen names could make.
-
Remind
your kids that once they post information online,
they can't take it back.
Even if they delete the information from a site,
older versions may exist on other people's computers
and be circulated online.
-
Know
how your kids are getting online.
More and more, kids are accessing the Internet
through their cell phones. Find out about what
limits you can place on your child's cell phone.
Some cellular companies have plans that limit
downloads, Internet access, and texting; other
plans allow kids to use those features only at
certain times of day.
-
Talk
to your kids about bullying.
Online bullying can take many forms, from spreading
rumors online and posting or forwarding private
messages without the sender's OK, to sending threatening
messages. Tell your kids that the words they type
and the images they post can have real-world consequences.
They can make the target of the bullying feel
bad, make the sender look bad and, sometimes,
can bring on punishment from the authorities.
Encourage your kids to talk to you if they feel
targeted by a bully.
-
Tell
your kids to trust their gut if they have suspicions.
If
they feel threatened by someone or uncomfortable
because of something online, encourage them to
tell you. You can then help them report concerns
to the police and to the social networking site.
Most sites have links where users can immediately
report abusive, suspicious, or inappropriate online
behavior.
-
Read
sites' privacy policies.
Spend some time with a site's privacy policy,
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), and parent sections
to understand its features and privacy controls.
The site should spell out your rights as a parent
to review and delete your child's profile if your
child is younger than 13.
source Federal Trade Commission
A
Few More Tips to Protect Pre-Teens
Many
of the tips above apply for pre-teens, but parents of
younger children also can:
-
Take
extra steps to protect younger kids.
Keep the computer in an open area like the kitchen
or family room, so you can keep an eye on what
your kids are doing online. Use the Internet with
them to help develop safe surfing habits. Consider
taking advantage of parental control features
on some operating systems that let you manage
your kids' computer use, including what sites
they can visit, whether they can download items,
or what time of day they can be online.
-
Go
where your kids go online.
Sign up for and use the social networking
spaces that your kids visit. Let them know that
you're there, and help teach them how to act as
they socialize online.
-
Review
your child's friends list. You
may want to limit your child's online friends
to people your child actually knows and is friendly
with in real life.
- Posting
photographs should be considered permanently on
the web.
With advanced technology any photograph posted to
social media websites can and most likely will be
saved on several or many other computer systems
that the original poster will not have access too.
A good rule of thumb is prior to posting any photograph
online is to ask yourself if you would want it published
in a public forum (newspaper, television, etc)?
If the answer is no than it should not
be posted online.
For
More Information
To
learn more about staying safe online, visit the websites
of the following organizations:
Federal
Trade Commission
www.onguardonline.gov
The
FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive,
and unfair business practices in the marketplace and
to provide information to help consumers spot, stop,
and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information
on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov
or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357);
TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC manages OnGuardOnline.gov,
which provides practical tips from the federal government
and the technology industry to help you be on guard
against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect
your personal information.
source
Federal Trade Commission
ConnectSafely
www.connectsafely.org
ConnectSafely
is a forum for parents, teens, educators, and advocates
designed to give teens and parents a voice in the public
discussion about youth online safety, and has tips,
as well as other resources, for safe blogging and social
networking. Along with NetFamilyNews.org
, it is a project of the non-profit Tech
Parenting Group.
source
connectsafely.org
Cyberbully411
www.cyberbully411.org
Cyberbully411 provides resources and opportunities for
discussion and sharing for youth and their parents
who have questions about or may have been targeted
by online harassment. The website was created by the
non-profit Internet Solutions for Kids, Inc., with funding
from the Community Technology Foundation of California.
source
cyberbully411.org
GetNetWise
www.getnetwise.org
GetNetWise
is a public service sponsored by Internet industry corporations
and public interest organizations to help ensure that
Internet users have safe, constructive, and educational
or entertaining online experiences. The GetNetWise coalition
works to provide Internet users with the resources they
need to make informed decisions about their and their
family's use of the Internet.
source
getnetwise.org
Internet
Keep Safe Coalition
www.iKeepSafe.org
iKeepSafe.org
is a coalition of 49 governors/first spouses, law enforcement,
the American Medical Association, the American Academy
of Pediatrics, and other associations dedicated to helping
parents, educators, and caregivers by providing tools
and guidelines to promote safe Internet and technology
use among children
source
ikeepsafe.org
.
National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children
www.missingkids.com
; www.netsmartz.org
NCMEC
is a private, non-profit organization that helps prevent
child abduction and sexual exploitation; helps find
missing children; and assists victims of child abduction
and sexual exploitation, their families, and the professionals
who serve them.
source
netsmartz.org
Staysafe
www.staysafe.org
Staysafe.org
is an educational site intended to help consumers understand
both the positive aspects of the Internet as well as
how to manage a variety of safety and security issues
that exist online.
source
staysafe.org
Wired
Safety
www.wiredsafety.org
WiredSafety.org
is an Internet safety and help group. WiredSafety.org
provides education, assistance, and awareness on cybercrime
and abuse, privacy, security, and responsible technology
use. It is also the parent group of Teenangels.org,
FBI-trained teens and preteens who promote Internet
safety.
source
wiredsafety.org and Federal Trade Commission
Conclusion
The
Hollister Police Departments Mission Statement is:
In
recognition of our duty, and to the best of our ability,
we protect, serve and educate our community to positively
impact its overall quality of life.
We
hope with this guide we can accomplish our mission in
regards to social media and help you and your children
to safely use social media. For questions and concerns
feel free to contact Hollister Police Department at
(831) 636-4330 or email us at info@police.hollister.ca.us
.
Printable
Download Here |
