Kids and Social Networking
Kids today use social networking and social media as much as
adults, maybe even more. Teens us places like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to
keep up with friends, chat with friends, and share pictures and videos with
their favorite buddy. Although teens love these sites as much as adults, safety
should be in the forefront of their thoughts as well as the parents mind.
If you want to monitor the use of your child’s social
networking, you will need to find out if they have an account with one of the
social media networks. Visit the landing page of any of the places you want to
check and use the search tab. Type in your child’s name, email address or other
names he or she might go by with family and friends. The search will show the
child’s name if there is a account under that name.
You may want to take a look at your child’s friends. A young
child will have a locked, private setting that adds a degree of online safety.
Never just assume no one can hack into the account. If you child accepts a
friend request, the person will have access to his or her information and the
private settings will not matter.
Monitor a young child’s social media networking sites on a
regular basis. Keep up with the new friends, the photos and videos he or she is
posting and viewing the status profiles and check ins. To prevent your child
from changing profiles just to save him or her during one your routine checks,
you may want to peek at the sites on a random choosing. You child may be hiding
things behind your back. If this is the case, he or she may make the changes
when they know you will be peeping over their shoulder, and switch it back when
you are not around.
