Safety and Social Media
Tips For Keeping Teens Safe On Social Media
More than 60 percent of teens in the United Sates have at least one social media account, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. And while being online is a good way to keep in tough with friends, it’s important for parents to be proactive about Internet safety.
Unfortunately, there are people who can use your child’s personal information to steal identities bully them or begin an inappropriate relationship. Help protect children from online dangers by following these safety tips:
- Keep your child’s profile private so that only family and people you know can see photos, important dates and other information.
- Make sure your kids aren’t posting personal details, including phone numbers, phone address, and the name of their schools or Social Security number.
- Only allow them to publish photos and videos that don’t jeopardize their safety or their integrity.
- Make sure they choose a strong password that can’t be guessed and update threat password every three months.
- Never allow your kids to accept friend requests from people they don’t know.
- keep an ope dialogue with your children. Ask them to you know if they’v e received private messages from a stranger or from someone at schools who is teasing, harassing or threatening them. Those could be signs of cyber-bullying or even a sexual predator.
The best way to protect your kids online? Talk to them. Kids rely on their parents for important information – like how to be safe and responsible online. Here are some resources to help you get started.
Get additional online safety tips and other relevant information on www.OnGuardOnline.gov, a great government resource for parents and teens.