Social Media Safety for Kids and Parents
On November 8th, 2013, Ms. Black presented with Lisbeth Fillard (2013 Wake County School Counselor of the Year award recipient) at the North Carolina School Counselor Association conference about social media safety. Here are some of the most useful tips for parents:
Most Commonly Used Apps:
You Tube:
—Age requirements: 13 and older
—Risks: Contact with strangers; posts and comments are allowed; videos can be shared via weblink; people can post videos of you without your permission; inappropriate videos can be watched;
—Safety procedures: Set account to highest privacy settings; do not allow people to post material with you in it.
Facebook: —Age requirements: 13 and older
—Risks: Contact with strangers; sharing inappropriate content; cyberbullying through chat/posts; photos can unknowingly be saved and shared; your location can be disclosed.
—Safety procedures: Only accept people you know in real life; do not talk to strangers; monitor the material you post; set account to private.
Instagram: —Age requirements: 13 and older
—Risks: Inappropriate photos that can’t be taken back; inappropriate comments made or received; strangers; all pictures/content are property of Instagram; “photo map” identifies your location; photos can unknowingly be saved and shared; can be shared with Facebook and Twitter allowing more people to see your posts without your permission; hashtags that are used can be traced to your account.
—Safety procedures: Only friend people you know. Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want grandma to see or read. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in person. Use privacy features.
Kik:
—Age requirements: 13 and older
—Risks: Contact with strangers; inappropriate pictures/videos that can be sent to others; phone number, email, and other personal information can be disclosed for legal action and/or people at risk of being harmed; allows vague user names to anonymously post material; photos can unknowingly be saved and shared.
—Safety procedures: Make sure your profile is private. Block users who you do not know or who may be sending inappropriate content.
Twitter:
—Age requirements: None
—Risks: Archives tweets; strangers; inappropriate pictures that can’t be taken back; inappropriate messages received or sent; hashtags that are used can be traced to your account; photos can unknowingly be saved and shared.
—Safety procedures: Set your account to private; monitor the content you post; do not accept stranger’s follow requests; do not disclose personal information.
Snapchat:
—Age requirements: 12 and older
—Risks: Contact with strangers; deleted messages cannot be retrieved; messages can be captured by screen shots
—Safety procedures: Make sure your profile is private. Block users who you do not know or who may be sending inappropriate content.
—Age requirements: 13 and older
—Risks: Contact with strangers; posts and comments are allowed; videos can be shared via weblink; people can post videos of you without your permission; inappropriate videos can be watched;
—Safety procedures: Set account to highest privacy settings; do not allow people to post material with you in it.
Facebook: —Age requirements: 13 and older
—Risks: Contact with strangers; sharing inappropriate content; cyberbullying through chat/posts; photos can unknowingly be saved and shared; your location can be disclosed.
—Safety procedures: Only accept people you know in real life; do not talk to strangers; monitor the material you post; set account to private.
Instagram: —Age requirements: 13 and older
—Risks: Inappropriate photos that can’t be taken back; inappropriate comments made or received; strangers; all pictures/content are property of Instagram; “photo map” identifies your location; photos can unknowingly be saved and shared; can be shared with Facebook and Twitter allowing more people to see your posts without your permission; hashtags that are used can be traced to your account.
—Safety procedures: Only friend people you know. Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want grandma to see or read. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in person. Use privacy features.
Kik:
—Age requirements: 13 and older
—Risks: Contact with strangers; inappropriate pictures/videos that can be sent to others; phone number, email, and other personal information can be disclosed for legal action and/or people at risk of being harmed; allows vague user names to anonymously post material; photos can unknowingly be saved and shared.
—Safety procedures: Make sure your profile is private. Block users who you do not know or who may be sending inappropriate content.
Twitter:
—Age requirements: None
—Risks: Archives tweets; strangers; inappropriate pictures that can’t be taken back; inappropriate messages received or sent; hashtags that are used can be traced to your account; photos can unknowingly be saved and shared.
—Safety procedures: Set your account to private; monitor the content you post; do not accept stranger’s follow requests; do not disclose personal information.
Snapchat:
—Age requirements: 12 and older
—Risks: Contact with strangers; deleted messages cannot be retrieved; messages can be captured by screen shots
—Safety procedures: Make sure your profile is private. Block users who you do not know or who may be sending inappropriate content.
General Safety Tips to Share with Your Child
- Never add a “friend” who you don’t know in real life.
- Don’t post personal info. such as where you live, vacation location, school, etc.
- Only post pictures that you would be comfortable with EVERYONE YOU KNOW seeing.
- Don’t say anything you would not say in person.
- Grandma Rule—If you would not want your grandma to read it or see it, don’t post it.
- Set strict privacy settings.