SOCIAL NETWORKING- WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD BE SAFE

WHAT IS SOCIAL NETWORKING?

Put very simply, it is a way to seek a connection or bond with other people. All of us seek to connect with other people, to create community, and to have shared experiences with others. Our children seek that connection online. There are thousands of social networking sites available to everyone but the most popular ones are Facebook and My Space. Others include Beebo, Friendster, Piczo, Xanga.

Social Networks all provide free space for anyone who signs up to share information about themselves. Users look for other people who share their interests. Sometimes they are their friends, and sometimes they are complete strangers. Users add these people to their "Wall" or"Space" as their friends. These web pages can be customized to include music, video, and graphics. So what are teens doing on Facebook and MySpace? Simple- they're "hanging out." We used to hang out with our friends at the mall, Friendly's, or driving around town but now "hanging out" has moved online, making it especially attractive to younger teens who don't have the mobility their high school counterparts have.

HOW CAN I HELP MY CHILD BE SAFE ON A SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITE?

As a parent, the best ting you can do to help your child stay safe using a social networking website is be involved. Be sure you are on their frind list. Talk with htem about their page. Get to know their online friends. You should also be aware that students sometimes have multiple accounts, one for their parents to see and another one that they use to communicate and socialize with friends. We need to help our children learn to discern what is dangerous and what is safe. They do not realize how public the information they are posting is and that once it is online, it is nearly impossible to completely remove it. They don't think about the fact that college admissions counselors look at potential students' social networking accounts or that posting threats or harmful information can be viewed by schools or law enforcement officials. Students see their accounts as personal and often forget that everything they post is there for the world to see. If your child has a social networking website, be sure he/she shares it with you and talk with them about ways to stay safe while using it. TRY THESE CONVERSATION STARTERS:

As educators and as parents, we must do our best to teach our children to be responsible and safe when using the Internet. Click on any of the links below to hear podcasts (audio files), watch videos, read information on social networking, or download articles to help you learn more about social networking. (all sites, podcasts, and documents used by permission of the authors)

BACK TO INTERNET SAFETY