I was watching a news report a few weeks ago about teens, even pre-teens and Facebook. The reporter interviewed several children from the ages of 11 to 15 about their internet and Facebook usage and while I wasn’t too surprised by the results they were still a little shocking.
Children today seem to be growing up way too fast and exposed to "real life" so much sooner than before and internet and television has a lot to do with. Sure you can limit the amount of television and internet access you allow your children, but after watching this interview it's obvious the kids are easily getting around their limitations. Some even go so far as setting up a secret Facebook account that mom and dad don’t even know about.
So how do you monitor your kids without being that helicopter mom?
Communicate with them – Explain to your kids what is appropriate online. Instill in them that if you feel uncomfortable saying something to someone face to face, then it should not be said online. Ask them to tell you if they are being bullied or have seen someone else being bullied.
Work together – Sit down with your child and help them create their profile and make sure the appropriate privacy settings are assigned accordingly. Ask them about new friends you don’t recognize.
Limit Pictures Online – Discourage your kids from posting pictures online, especially ones that can easily identify their location.
Remember the 5 Don’ts – Do not give out your last name, do not put your real zip code or postal code online, do not put your real address or town, do not put your school or past schools you have intended online, do not mention times and dates you will be out of the house.
Invest in Child Internet Monitoring Software – Another way to help protect your kids on Facebook and online is to check your privacy settings on your browsers and/or investing in some monitoring software. Check out KidsWatch, Guardian, or PC Tattletale.
My kids are still very young so I don’t have to worry about cyber bullying, Facebook or monitoring software, but I’ll be ready when that day comes. We have to protect our kids and help them understand what online activity is appropriate. What’s posted online doesn’t necessarily go away and that can cause problems for them later in life especially when they start looking for jobs. When I was actively hiring people at my old business we would look up their Facebook pages and you would be amazed how many people we turned down just based on their profile.
Does your child have a Facebook page? If so, do you monitor their activity? If not, will you allow them to create one?
