Social Media Safety for Kids

Social networking has become part of

the daily routines of both adults and children, providing tools for

children to socialize, learn, create,

and grow. Despite the positive experiences

children can have through social media , the information which is shared

can make children vulnerable to identity theft, cyberbullying, malware

and virus attacks, and internet predators.

“Facebook and other social networks

aren’t going away anytime soon”, said 

Mechele Agbayani Mills, president and CEO of BBB Serving Central East

Texas. “The better parents

understand this and stay ahead of the curve, the better they’ll be

able to help their kids understand it as well.”

BBB provides the following tips to help

ensure the safety of yourself and your loved ones.

• Communicate. Encourage
  
  your children to make you aware if something they encounter on one of
  
  these sites makes them feel anxious, uncomfortable or threatened.



• Set
  
  the ground rules. Provide children with limits regarding length
  
  of time they can be on the internet and which sites are and are not
  
  acceptable.



• Educate yourself. Evaluate
  
  the sites that your child plans to use and make sure both you and your
  
  child understand the privacy policy and the code of conduct. Find out
  
  if the site monitors content that people post. Also, review your child's
  
  page periodically.



• Minimize the risk.
  
  Insist that your children communicate only with people they've met in
  
  person. Check their friends and ask questions. Children are in real
  
  danger when they meet strangers in person whom they've communicated
  
  with online only.



• Limit information.
  
  Posting too much information can make your children vulnerable. Set
  
  your child’s privacy settings to “private” or “friends only”,
  
  and restrict them from posting information such as their last name,
  
  cell phone number, date of birth, and name of school.



• Be mindful about detail
  
  in photographs. Photographs can reveal a lot of personal information.
  
  Encourage your children not to post photographs of themselves or their
  
  friends with clearly identifiable details such as street signs, license
  
  plates on family cars, or even the name of their school on their sweatshirts.



• Make it public. Keep
  
  the computer in  a public part of your home, such as the family room
  
  or kitchen, so that you can check on what your kids are doing and how
  
  much time they are spending online.



• Take it down. If your
  
  children refuse to abide by the rules you've set to help protect their
  
  safety and you've attempted to help them change their behavior, you
  
  can contact the social website your child uses and ask them to remove
  
  the page.

Keep in mind there are many internet

filtering tools and applications that are available to complement parental

supervision and help young people navigate the web in an effective and

safe manner while ensuring their future success in a tech-savvy and

highly connected world.

For more information on how to be a savvy

consumer, go to www.bbb.org. To report a fraud or scam, call the BBB Hotline:

(903) 581-8373.