Parents should feel some sort of concern for their kids online, especially when it comes to interacting with new people (and old) through social networking on the phone. Below are a few strategies and tips parents can implement and go over with their kis for a more safe online experience.
1. No Personal Information
Teens and young kids should fully understand not to give out any personal information about themselves or family. This includes last names, addresses, phone numbers, school names, family members, etc.
2. User Names/Screen Names
When creating profiles, you should not use any personal information like age, date of birth, or last name. Here are a few things you can do to stay safe on Facebook.
3. Age Requirements
This one is on a case-by-case basis depending on each child and their maturity level, but most social networking sites have a minimum age requirement that is established to protect young users.
4. Parental Code of Conduct
Parents should sit down with their kids and go over a list of established expectations of online behavior. Before kids get online they should already know what is/isn’t acceptable when on social networks.
5. Cyber Bullying
Teens as well as parents should know the signs of cyber bullying and how to steer clear of them. The online trend of cyber bullying is one that is very dangerous and can end extremely bad. Signs a child is being bullied.
6. Online Hours
Teens can get carried away when it comes to being online. It is up to parents to create time slots of when teens are and are not allowed to be on the phone to curb the amount of time spent wasted online. New screen time rules for kids, by doctors.
7. Spam and/or Scams
Parents should explain to their teens and young kids that all offers/emails received are not with good intentions. Do not open email from unknown senders and do not give any information. 10 Things You Can Do to Avoid Fraud.
8. Monitoring Software
One fail-safe safety strategy parents can take is utilizing the help of extensive phone monitoring software to ensure their teens’ online safety. Many parents have enlisted the help of mobile monitoring and parental control software known as mSpy. This software not only monitors phone activity, but also allows parents to take action and block certain activities, apps and more on their teens phone. In addition parents can even implement time slots of when the phone can/cannot be used to prevent overuse and ensure safety. Learn how to install the mspy app.
9. The “Golden Rule”
The main thing all teens and young kids should know before ever logging into any social networking sites is that the online cyber world of social networking is not real life. Many people post things online to boast and brag about things that are not real to feel better about themselves, while many others paint a fake picture to seem real and gain trust of unsuspecting individuals to cause harm.
Modern day teens live their lives surrounded 24/7 by phones and the internet. Many of them playing games, searching for information and other activities, but the most popular pastime of teens and young kids on the internet is to connect with others on social networking sites. Most times, parents have no problem with their young ones interacting with friends, family and others on the internet and simply see it as harmless entertainment. But some parents fear the online world of social networking can be a breeding ground for cyber bullying, predators, scammers and much more.