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Internet Safety: Social NetworkingFor children growing up today, using computers and being online is an unremarkable part of their daily lives. Through the Internet, our children stay in touch with their friends, get and share information, shop, and sometimes even do homework. For most of them, most of the time, the online world is a safe one. But like the “real” world, there are dangers “out there”. We can help keep children safe by teaching them to navigate the cyber-world just as we teach them to navigate the physical world. Parents should know how to use the Internet, set rules for their children’s safe and age-appropriate use of the Internet and, as with all of our children’s activities, be involved. Most importantly talk with your children about the ways they use the online world. Even as children grow older and more independent it is essential that you stay involved in their online life -- just as you stay involved in their offline life. Just as you know your child’s real-world friends, learn about their online friends. As technology advances it is essential that parents stay aware of new aspects of Internet related safety. This article addresses one of the newer issues, social networking. Learn About Social NetworkingSocial Networking sites provide a chance for people to share information about themselves. Individuals can create pages on which they post “profiles”, photos and videos, music, favorite quotes, and create blogs. Visitors to their pages can view what has been posted and can add their own replies and additions. Social networking sites include MySpace.com, Facebook, Friendster, and Xanga, among others. The point of these sites is to share personal information. These sites offer users the chance to develop unique and highly personalized spaces, to express something about themselves and to stay in touch with others – many others. These sites offer a contemporary format to be part of a social community. The popularity of the sites and this form of connectedness, especially among youth, is a fact of life. Increasingly the sites are used by younger adolescents and pre- adolescents. Discover the RulesSince these sites also have significant potential for abuse, it is essential to actively parent this part of your child’s online experience. Explore the sites to learn about their rules, minimum age of use (for example, the minimum age to join MySpace is 14), and security procedures. Talk with your children about whether and how they use sites like these, and safe ways to enjoy them. Educating your children is the best way that you can keep them safe. Banning the use of these sites may result in the use being hidden from you. Personal Information and ProfilesIt is already “old news” to teach children not to reveal personal information online – information such as their full names, phone numbers, addresses, etc. Yet, an enormous amount of personal information is often contained on the pages of these sites. The amount of personal information available may increase children’s vulnerability to online predators. On MySpace, for example, it is possible to “browse” the site for users by their gender, age, geographic area, and relationship status (for example, “single” or “in a relationship”). A potential predator may search the site and then use information gleaned from a profile (information that the user has posted about him- or her-self) along with recognizable information in the background of photos, content of “chats” plus online searches to determine the real life identity of someone whose page they have visited. (One way that you can learn if anything about your child is found on the Web is to run a search for your child’s name, using a program such as Google). Limit Who Can View Your PagesTo limit the risk of contact by predators, it is often advised that children (and adults) not create online profiles. A more realistic suggestion is to ask your children to restrict their pages to viewing by people they actually know – that is, to set the pages to “private”. This will allow only designated friends to view the page with its photos, messages, and other postings, while denying access to unknown visitors. Children should not accept requests to add new “friends” to their lists unless they actually know that person. Potential predators may ask to be added to a list of friends, claiming to have been “referred” by a mutual friend. Be Open About Online SafetyCompletely prohibiting the use of social networking sites, chat-rooms, e-mails or instant messaging is not likely to be an effective way to protect your children. Remember, children can be online at friends’ homes, in libraries, and increasingly, through wireless technology. Cell phones and video games offer ways to stay connected without using a computer. Guiding your children’s use and continuing to talk with them about the ways in which they use the online world is more likely to be effective. Restricting computer use may be appropriate. This is a personal choice that may depend on your child’s age, computer skills and judgment. You can limit the number of hours and times of day that children are online and use blocking software on your computer to reduce the likelihood of unwanted contacts. Since a great deal of online use is for social connection, any restrictions that you place on your child’s use will be that much harder for them if their friends don’t have similar restrictions. Talk with other parents about these issues to learn from each other, support each other’s decisions and possibly establish similar rules. . The majority of youth who receive unwanted online contacts do not tell their parents. Often, it is because they expect parents to respond by pulling the plug on their online access. Instead, talk with your child about what to do if such contacts occur and how you will handle the situation together. “Unplugging “ them is not the answer. Web Sites for Information and To Teach Online Safety to ChildrenThere are web sites that can help you learn ways to keep your children safe and also help you stay current with changing technology. Good suggestions can be found on the following sites: You may choose to explore these sites with your children.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
NetSmartz
SafeKids.Com
WiredSafety.Com
Mental Health Association of Westchester County, (MHA)
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