Brentwood POA Offers Tips to Protecting Your Kids on Social Media

The Brentwood Police Officers Association (BPOA) put out 10 tips aimed to help parents monitor their kids social media usage. They consider the tips to be “best practices” when using social media and discussing the dangers with your children.

*****PROTECTING YOUR KIDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA******

With social media being a huge part of our society, there are nearly 2 billion users of social media (Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and Linkedin). As parents it is tough to monitor everything your child is doing online, with so many avenues to access it (media players, laptops, tablets, and cell phones). The best practice for any parent is to talk to their kids about their usage and teach them good practices. Here are some tips to help parents.

Tip #1: Don’t Be An Ostrich.
Burying your head in the sand just won’t work. Believing “I’m not going to let my child join a social network until…..” isn’t the best tactic to take. If you don’t get involved in steering your child in the right direction then they’ll sign themselves up without you knowing. Check your internet browser history to see what times social media was accessed to see if your child is using it without your permission. Check their wireless devices to see what applications have been downloaded and their browser history.

Tip #2: Know The Rules.
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a law that protects your child online. It’s against this law for any child under the age of 13 to join social networks like Facebook or MySpace. We never teach our children to lie, so don’t let them lie to join a site.

Tip#3: Not Okay Offline = Not Okay Online.
Mainstream social networks like Facebook are adult intended. Whether it’s the inappropriate photos that are allowed; our personal data being tracked and sold; or the illegal content that is sadly shared, the fact is we wouldn’t knowingly allow our children to be surrounded by these activities so we shouldn’t online.

Tip #4: The Sooner The Better.
Don’t wait until your child says: “I want to join XYZ site.” Start them out early as a member of a kid-centric site that you have researched and feel comfortable with. Social networking will be a part of your child’s life, so make sure you’re involved in helping them make a healthy choice early.

Tip #5: Set Limits.
As with all our kids’ media time, limit it. Make sure they have a healthy dose of outside activities before sitting down to enjoy their social media time. And when they do, limit their screen time.

Tip #6: Dialogue.
Talk to your kids about what they are doing online, and don’t stop talking. It’s important they know you’re interested and involved.

Tip #7: Protect Your Child’s Identity.
Your child’s identity and online safety is immediately at risk if they provide their first and last name, birth date, school, phone number or physical location. A website asking for this information should be a “red flag”. A kids social network that complies with privacy laws – asks for your email for permission, your child’s birth date (to determine if <13), and a desired screen name.

Tip #8: Round Out Your Family Safety Net.
After you’ve set your children up with their age appropriate safety-focused social networking account, be sure to activate the rest of the safety controls across all devices and tools. For starters, safety enable all idevices, Google SafeSearch and YouTube Safety Mode.

Tip #9: The Kids Channels Are Here!
It used to be only ABC, CBS, NBC, then along came cable where suddenly kids could enjoy programming just for them. The same has happened in social media. Networks made specifically for your children, offer kid-specific activities while safety and privacy are key.

The following companies have social media websites built for ages 7-11. Kazaana, Scuttlepad, Everloop, Yoursphere, Giant Hello, Sweety High, and Kidzworld.

Tip #10: Have Fun With Your Kids.
There’s so much exploring, creativity, education and engagement that your children will gain from their social networking experience. Be sure you sit down with your child and enjoy the experience together.

Social media is a great way to keep in touch with family and friends, but it is also the forum for outsiders too. Be careful with who you are sharing information with online. Be safe everyone!