The National Institute on Media and the Family created a parent guide to online social networking. This guide discusses profiles, friends, chatboards, photos, videos, mobile networking, and safety and security issues. Each topic is discussed with both the positive and negative characteristics. I found this guide to be very informative and helpful for parents who may not already understand social networking sites and their capabilities. If I were still in the classroom, I would probably distribute this information at Parents' Night. Some of the information applies to adults and their social networking forays, as well. It is so important for parents to know what their children are doing on the Internet. Staying connected, playing games, and having fun are all benefits to using the Internet, but there are also downsides that parents need to be aware of and monitor regularly.
It is extremely important for parents to know who their child is talking to and what information their child is sharing with their friends. How does your child know each person? What information is available for the public to see? Are privacy settings in place? Are there any unusual friends who the parents do not know personally? Parents should discuss with their children how to handle strangers and what information is not okay to share, such as one's address, telephone number, and birthdate. According to a study at the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2008, "48 percent of K-1st reported viewing online content that mde them feel uncomfortable, of which 72 percent reported the experience to a grownup, meaning that one in four children did not" (http://enough.org/inside.php?id=2UXKJWRY8#6). This information is highly disturbing. These children are barely able to read or write, but they're finding inappropriate websites and not telling an adult. As children get older and are able to share more, what happens?
Parents should also talk with their children about cyberbullying. Just as in face-to-face encounters, it is not okay for anyone to threaten or bully. It is also not okay to do these things to others. The New York Times covered an article on January 13, 2009 discussing online threats to children. A task force comprised of 49 attorneys general looked into the problem of sexual solicitation online and found that this was not the biggest problem facing youth online. Instead, they found "bullying among children, both online and offline, poses a far more serious problem" (http://www.newyorktimes.com/2009/01/14/technology/internet/14cyberweb.html).
I have also learned through personal experience that putting anything in writing, whether it be email, a post, etc., it not a good idea when you're upset. Children need to understand that taking time to calm down and think about a matter that is upsetting is important. Once something is written and sent, that information can be passed around without your knowledge and without your consent. There are times when talking to a person one-on-one is better. Children can also use social cues to understand how they are making other people feel. By writing and sending letters and comments online, children cannot see how their words impact others.
Parents should know their children's usernames and passwords. However, children and parents need to discuss trust and what the parents will do when they sign in. Children need to feel as though their parents are looking out for them rather than feeling like their parents are trying to control them. Another way to be aware of children's activity online is to keep computers in a public place in the house with the monitor displayed for others to see. Keeping computers out of bedrooms and other private places allows parents to see what is going on at any given time. My parents always told me and my sister that we should not have an expectation of privacy when it came to the computer.
Parents need to be involved and monitoring their children's online activity whether it be social networking sites, playing games, or surfing the Internet. Trusting filters or child-friendly browsers is not enough. Parents must be proactive by talking to their children. By staying involved and keeping a continuing dialogue with their children, parents may be able to better protect their kids.
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