Communicating and Social Networking
Online communicating is done through a wide array of methods such as blogs, journals, chat
rooms, email and instant messaging (IM). Social networking sites
consist of those like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. On these sites,
kids create profiles that others can view and become “friends” with
other people online that they can they chat with.
For the most part, these sites are used
for sharing photos, gossiping, expressing opinions and make plans for
the weekend with friends. However, parents need to know that one out of
every five children will get sexually solicited on these social
networking sites. These are prime areas for cyber bullies, predators and
complete strangers to target children. Profiles on these sites show
your child’s age, gender and hometown.
What can parents do? Know exactly who
your child is talking to online. Look at who is on their friends list
and have them remove anyone that they haven’t actually seen or met in
person. Teach your child not to give out personal information like their
address or phone number and ensure they never meet a stranger in
person.
Surfing the Net
Surfing the net is a great way for kids
to look up something for a homework assignment or access learning
materials like periodicals, newspapers and encyclopedias. However, if
their computer doesn’t have restrictions of any kind, they may be
subjected to things like inappropriate content, viruses, erroneous
information and pop-up advertisements.
What can parents do in this case? You
can set rules and time limits. Keeping your child safe online means
setting rules about what is considered appropriate content, language and
behavior online. Time limits are also important as the less time they
have access to the computer, other than for school work, the safer they
are from online harm.
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