The Truth About Kids and Social Media
March 12, 2014
BYOD in the Classroom-There’s No Turning back
May 7, 2014
Protecting your kids online takes a lot more than tracking their devices.
A ccording to the Washinton Post, As children of every age navigate the new world of devices, online games and social media sites, parents are attempting to buckle down in every way possible. Many have downloaded apps or software to block sites or monitor their child’s every online move. They retain passwords and the right to look at anything their tweens are doing on their phones. Others put geotrackers on kids’ devices so they know where they are at all times. But one thing parents can’t forget is how to talk to their children so they can truly monitor what’s going on with devices and all that comes with them.
Let’s put it this way: Your daughter could be crying in her room right now because of something she saw on Snapchat, explained Devorah Heitner, author of “Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive in their Digital World.” But how would you know why she’s crying unless you’re talking with her? Your monitoring app may show she was on Snapchat. That won’t tell you much unless you’re having conversations with your daughter about what she’s facing. “The problem with apps is they give you data, but it’s just raw data,” Heitner says. “If [your teens] are trying to hide from you, they can. … The key is conversation.”.
"Creating responsible mobile device usage and social media use, one person at a time.”
The most important thing is to talk and have a relationship with tweens and teens. Monitoring software exists and can be used gently, but apps that control and watch everything a teen does can easily backfire..
Although days of sneaking out without having phones in hand are long gone, muddling through being a kid, and being a parent, is still pretty much the same. What’s different is the addition of technology and social media.
Social networking sites, chat rooms, virtual worlds, and blogs are how teens and tweens socialize online; it's important to help your child learn how to navigate these spaces safely. Among the pitfalls that come with online socializing are sharing too much information or posting comments, photos, or videos that can damage a reputation or hurt someone's feelings. Applying real-world judgment can help minimize those risks..
Remind Kids that Online Actions Have Consequences The words kids write and the images they post have consequences offline. Kids should post only what they’re comfortable with others seeing. Some of your child's profile may be seen by a broader audience than you — or they — are comfortable with, even if privacy settings are high. Encourage your child to think about the language they use online, and to think before posting pictures and videos, or altering photos posted by someone else. Employers, college admissions officers, coaches, teachers, and the police may view your child's posts. Remind kids that once they post it, they can't take it back. Even if you delete the information from a site, you have little control over older versions that may exist on other people's computers and may circulate online. Tell your kids not to impersonate someone else. Let your kids know that it's wrong to create sites, pages, or posts that seem to come from someone else, like a teacher, a classmate, or someone they made up. Tell Kids to Limit What They Share Help your kids understand what information should stay private. Tell your kids why it's important to keep some things — about themselves, family members, and friends — to themselves. Information like their Social Security number, street address, phone number, and family financial information — say, bank account or credit card numbers — is private and should stay that way. Talk to your teens about avoiding sex talk online. Research shows that teens who don't talk about sex with strangers online are less likely to come in contact with predators. In fact, researchers have found that predators usually don't pose as children or teens, and most teens who are contacted by adults they don't know find it creepy. Teens should not hesitate to ignore or block them..
