5 Things Kids Should Know about Social Sites
By now, you’ve heard terms like Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Twitter, right? If you haven’t, I guarantee your kids have heard of them or are currently even using them. These are just a few of the social networking sites out there where kids can meet others and create their own personal page to tell everyone who they are. Before letting your kids participate on these or any other social sites, let them know that with a few added precautions, they’ll stay safe.
No one wants to rob their child of some of these childhood experiences out there. It can also be hard for some kids to believe that anyone would be out to hurt them. But, the world can be a dangerous place. And, because they are not adults yet, they rely on you to educate them about how to be aware of what is going on around them. Child predators are counting on their innocence as a way to trap them. You can speak with your kids without scaring them. Just keep them informed of certain safety measures.
- Don’t give out any personal information to anyone. Kids feel excited to meet new people online, but it could be that the person posing as your child’s new “friend” is actually a sexual predator. They will coax information out of your child over time, and innocently your child will give them the info they want. With a name and address or even a name and a high school, a predator can locate and stalk a child.
- Don’t agree to meet with any online friends without parents present. Luring is the term used for online predators that use social sites to convince kids to leave their home and meet them somewhere else. It is much harder to catch the predator if a child goes out to meet them instead of the predator showing up on your doorstep. When a “friend” wants to meet with your child, always use your best judgment and always go along, should you even decide to let them meet someone they’ve met online.
- Avoid sexual conversations. A sexual predator won’t come right out and ask your child sexually explicit questions. They start by gaining their trust and then easing into those types of conversations. You should tell your child not to talk inappropriately and also not to tell their online “friend” what they look like.
- Always be honest. Pretending to be someone other than who they are can get your child into trouble. Acting older can attract the wrong kind of person and unwanted situations. Also, talking badly about someone else could backfire on them. Teach your children to remain respectful and honest at all times.
- Never ever give out passwords. Believe this or not, a friend could use your password and log in pretending to be you in a chat room or other social site. It might seem like a harmless prank but could lead to major problems for your child. Someone who is angry with your child could use their profile and say or do bad things.
You want to protect your child’s right to act their age, but take the proper precautions. Just remember to teach them to be safe in online situations so they don’t become a victim.
Here is a highly rated recommendation and great resource for families that want to stay safe: How to Protect Your Children on the Internet: A Road Map for Parents and Teachers
Come back in a couple days for more about Online Safety and Internet Safety for Kids. Sign up for our RSS feed, or join our email list to receive notices of new topics in our blog.
Sleep well!
raelynn @ KidzComfort.com
Comments
Leave a Reply
RSS Subscribe!
-
-
-
Sites I Visit
-
-
