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Is social networking safe for kids?

22 February, 2012 04:35:00 All4women

Photo ©: © Jacek Chabraszewski - Fotolia.com

Social networking websites allow kids to connect with their friends and other users with similar interests. Kids socialize and express themselves by exchanging instant messages, e-mails, or comments and posting photographs, creative writing, artwork, videos, and music to their blogs and personal profiles.

Some 55% of online teens have profiles on a social-networking website such as Facebook or MySpace.

A survey of 10 to 17 year olds revealed 34% had posted their real names, telephone numbers, home addresses, or the names of their schools online where anyone could see; 45% had posted their dates of birth or ages; and 18% had posted pictures of themselves.

Potential Risks

Some websites and services ask users to post a "profile" with their age, sex, hobbies, and interests. While these profiles help kids "connect" and share common interests, potential exploiters may pretend to be someone else and can and do use these profiles to search for victims.
Kids sometimes compete to see who has the greatest number of contacts and will add new members to their lists even if they don't know them in person.
Kids can't "take back" the online text and images they've entered. Kids may post information and images that are provocative and inappropriate. Once online, "chat" as well as other Web postings become public information. Anything posted online may be saved and forwarded to an unlimited number of users. Remind kids that once images are posted they lose control of them and can never get them back.
Kids have been reprimanded by their school administrators and families; denied entry into schools; and even not hired because of dangerous, demeaning, or harmful information found on their personal websites or blogs.

Tips to minimize potential risks

Urge kids to use privacy settings to restrict access to profiles so only those on their contact lists are able to view them.
Remind kids to only add people they know in person to their contact lists.
Encourage them to choose appropriate screennames or nicknames - such as those that refer to sports and interests, but are not sexual, violent, or offensive. Make sure the name doesn't include information revealing their identity or location.
Visit social-networking websites with your kids, and exchange ideas about what you think is safe and unsafe.
Ask your kids about the people they are communicating with online.
Insist your kids never give out personal information or arrange to meet in person with someone they've met online without first checking with you.
Encourage your kids to think before typing, "Is this message hurtful or rude?" Also urge your kids not to respond to any rude or harassing messages or ones making them feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused. Have them show you such messages.

Source: http://www.missingkids.com

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