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Which social networking Web site does your child belong to?
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Home > Articles > Social Networking: Help Your Kids Find the Right Friends
| Social Networking: Help Your Kids Find the Right Friends |
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Social networking Web sites are great ways to connect and stay in touch with friends. On sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Flickr, you can share likes, dislikes, photos, videos and other information. Although these sites can be fun and help kids talk to friends, they also can be a risk to privacy and safety. Your child knows not to talk to strangers in real life, so he/she also should know to use caution when interacting with strangers online.
Privacy Settings
It is important for children to set their privacy levels when they join a social networking site. Many sites provide a variety of ways to limit the amount of information people see. These can range from having a completely open profile that everyone can view to having a limited profile that only "friends" can see.
Some sites allow you to make multiple friend lists. Friend lists are great tools to allow you to set different privacy settings for different groups of friends. These lists let you share more information with those you know well, and limit access for others. Teach your children how to select their privacy settings and help them explore the online world more safely.
Sharing Information
Even though they use privacy settings, children should avoid or think twice about sharing their:
- Age
- Address
- Phone number
- Screen name
- Class schedule
- Other personal information
Many Internet companies and Web site owners keep records of activity. So, even if a message or photo is deleted, it may still be saved somewhere else. Children should learn to never share or post anything they wouldn't want the world to see. They also should ask their friends to respect their privacy and not post or tag embarrassing messages or photos of them online.
In addition, make sure your child knows that teachers, college administrators and employers have access to social networking sites. Some have been known to screen a person's profile before meeting or interviewing him/her. Make sure your child is giving a good first impression, especially if it's on a social networking site.
Friend Requests
When your child uses the proper privacy settings, people cannot see more than basic information and/or a picture of your child unless they are friends. Your child first must accept a friend request for someone to be his/her friend to continue communicating with him/her. It's important for kids to know how to deal with friend requests, especially when they do not know the person.
If your child receives a friend request from someone he/she doesn't know, teach your child to either:
- Send a message to the person asking how he/she knows your child. If your child still is unsure, have him/her check with a parent.
- Add the person to a friend list, which allows limited access to personal details and information.
- Reject or ignore the friend request. When in doubt, this is the safest thing to do. The person will not know he/she has been rejected and you always can be friends later if it turns out to be someone safe.
Many social networking sites have created a range of privacy-setting features to keep users and their information more secure. It's important for your child to take advantage of these features in order to safely enjoy the benefits of social networking.
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