MySpace Privacy Settings
October 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Talk with your child about the privacy settings available on MySpace and why they matter. It is recommended that the My Friends Only option be selected so that information is only available to those that your kids allow into their friend network. Make sure your child understands that only REAL friends should be added as MySpace friends.
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5 Social Networking Risks To Know About
October 13, 2009 | Leave a Comment
The media has taught us well about the risk of predators on the internet but you may not have thought about these five risks that your kids will likely encounter online.
- Relentless Peer Pressure
In times past, kids were able to take a break from peer pressure. With social networking and texting capabilities, kids may feel pressured to be “on” 24/7 365 days a year. The need to announce what you are doing, where you are going and who you are with may be stressful especially if the answers do not fit the mold of what is expected by the group.
Action: If you haven’t already, consider time limits for internet and texting usage. Limits actually give kids a break from the peer pressure and an excuse (YOU!) for why they are being silent. - Opportunity for Reputation Damage
The ability provided kids today to publish anything, anytime and anywhere is both a gift and a curse. In seconds kids can push information (pictures, videos, text conversations and more) to large numbers of people. This kind of power in the hands of young people with limited maturity (not a fault, just a fact) can be troublesome.
Action: To help kids protect their reputation, discuss the long term consequences of presenting oneself in ways that don’t reflect good character.
- 3. Fake Profiles
As a joke or as a way to “get back” at someone, kids may create a fake profile representing someone else. This can lead to trouble with school officials or even police. Caution your kids about playing jokes or getting back in this manner. - 4. Cyber-bullying
The National Crime Prevention Council’s definition of cyber-bullying is “when the Internet, cell phones or other devices are used to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person.” Caution your children about cyberbullying. You don’t want them to be a victim or a perpetrator. (See Cyberbullying article in this booklet.) - 5. Desensitization to sexually charged images
Myspace, more so than Facebook, exposes kids to sexually charged images and themes causing desensitization.
Digital Tattoos
October 2, 2009 | Leave a Comment
What kind does your child have?
Getting a tattoo, whether it depicts the name of a current love or a symbol representing life values, is a big risk for anyone, but especially for young people. Chances are the passion that motivates the decision to get the tattoo will change in days, months or years. What will remain is the tattoo.
Social networking profiles are like tattoos, say the creators of the Digital Tattoo Project at the University of British Columbia. What you post today may be as difficult to get rid of tomorrow as a permanent tattoo.
So, what is your child posting on social networking sites? Kids are chatting, sending messages, posting pictures and uploading videos. A recent national poll by Common Sense Media found that 28 percent of kids have shared personal information that they normally wouldn’t have shared in public and 39 percent have posted something they regretted. Another website claims that 1 in 10 kids have posted a nude or semi-nude picture of themselves while a Cox Communications study reports 1 in 5 have engaged in sexting (sending a nude or semi-nude picture via mobile phone). With these kinds of statistics there is reason to take action and talk to our kids about the importance of protecting their reputation online and off.
The best line of defense for your kids and their digital reputation is you. Talking frequently with your kids about digital life, the risks involved and the importance of online reputation (their digital tattoo) can indeed make the difference when they are presented with an opportunity to post questionable content.
Action: Talk to your kids today about developing a positive digital tattoo.
Visit the Digital Tattoo Website, http://digitaltattoo.ubc.ca/, and explore the myriad of resources available to educate you on privacy, connection and learning.
