Social Media for Parents & Nannies

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It’s all about hanging with friends — online….

Social media for parents and nannies.  So what do children & adults do in social media?  Posts, status updates, comments, instant messages, video uploads, tweets, and texts have become a regular part of our kids’, well in actuality, all of our  lives. In today’s 24/7 digital world, kids are logging on from everywhere, including smartphones, gaming devices, tablets, and laptops, and many parents simply don’t know what their kids are up to, much less much about the social media they’re using.

When it comes to social media for parents & nannies

The reality is that most kids start developing online relationships around the age of 8, usually through virtual worlds like Club Penguin. By age 10, they’ve progressed to multiplayer games and sharing their digital creations and homemade videos on sites like YouTube. By age 13, millions of kids have already created accounts on social networking sites like Facebook.

There are many positives to social media. It’s a fun way for kids to interact with friends. It can also be a great way to learn new things, collaborate with others, express creativity, and safely experiment with identity.

• Learn about these technologies first hand. There is simply no better way than to have a profile yourself. It will also enable you to “friend” your kids and monitor them on line.

• Let your children know that their use of technology is something you want and need to know about.
o For kids of all ages, ask daily: “Have you used the computer and the Internet today?”
o Share a bit about your daily Social Media use as a way to facilitate daily conversation about your kids’ online habits.
o Get your kids talking about their SM lives if you can just so you know what they are doing.

• Keep the computer in a public part of your home, such as the family room or kitchen, so that you can check on what your kids are doing online and how much time they are spending there.

• For all ages, emphasize that everything sent over the Internet or a cell phone can be shared with the entire world, so it is important they use good judgment in sending messages and pictures and set privacy settings on social media sites appropriately.
o Discuss with kids of every age what “good judgment” means and the consequences of poor judgment, ranging from minor punishment to possible legal action in the case of “sexting” (see below) or bullying.
o Remember to make a point of discouraging kids from gossiping, spreading rumors, bullying or damaging someone’s reputation using texting or other tools.
o To keep kids safe, have your kids and teens show you where the privacy features are for every SM venue they are using. The more private, the less likely inappropriate material will be received by your child, or sent to their circle of acquaintances.
o Be aware of the ages of use for sites your tweens and older elementary school kids want to use, including game sites such as ‘Club Penguin’ and ‘Webkins.’ Many sites are for age 13 and older, and the sites for younger kids do require parental consent to use.

• Talk with other parents about what their kids of similar ages are using for SM. Ask your kids about those technologies as a starting point for discussion. If they are in the same peer group, there is a good chance they are all using the same platforms together. For example:
o For teens: “Mrs. Smith told me Jennifer uses Facebook. Is that something you’ve thought of doing? Do you already have a profile? If so, I’d like to see it.”
o For tweens and older elementary school kids: “Are you planning on meeting up with kids on Club Penguin today? I’d love to see how that works.” Or, “Let’s look at your text log today together. I’d like to see who’s been texting you.”

• Be sure you are where your kids are online: IM, Facebook, MySpace, etc. Have a policy requiring that you and your child “friend” each other. This is one way of showing your child you are there, too, and will provide a check and balance system by having an adult within arm’s reach of their profile. This is important for kids of all ages, including teens.

• Show your kids you know how to use what they using, and are are willing to learn what you may not know how to do.

• Create a strategy for monitoring your kids’ online SM use, and be sure you follow through. Some families may check once a week and others more sporadically. You may want to say “Today I’ll be checking your computer and cell phone.” The older your kids are, the more often you may need to check.

• Consider formal monitoring systems to track your child’s email, chat, IM and image content. Parental controls on your computer or from your Internet service provider, Google Desktop or commercial programs are all reasonable alternatives.

• Set time limits for Internet and cell phone use. Learn the warning signs of trouble: skipping activities, meals and homework for SM; weight loss or gain; a drop in grades. If these issues are occurring due to your child being online when they should be eating, sleeping, participating in school or social activities, your child may have a problem with Internet or SM addiction. Contact your pediatrician for advice if any of these symptoms are occurring.

• Check chat logs, emails, files and social networking profiles for inappropriate content, friends, messages, and images periodically. Be transparent and let your kids know what you are doing.

Why social networking matters…..

The problem comes when kids share their private thoughts, photos, videos, and personal information. These revealing posts can become very public and last a long time. A post of a provocative photo or a picture with a beer bottle in hand could end up damaging a kid’s reputation.
Even more troubling are the privacy and safety issues that come with social networking. Marketers collect data based on your kids’ online activity and then target ads to them. And now with the ability to easily post your location, physical safety becomes a concern.
While no one knows what effect increased social networking has on kids’ development, it’s clear that young people do need some guidance around use. Get informed on your child’s Social Media today!

references: http://www.aap.org/ ; http://www.commonsensemedia.org/

social media for parents & nannies,

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