Social networking Web sites are among the fastest growing phenomena on the Internet.
And it is tweens (kids 8-12) and teens (kids 13-18) who are driving that growth. Among the
most popular social networking sites are MySpace, Friendster, Xanga, YouTube, and
Facebook. All of them provide a place for kids to get together online with existing and new
friends. When used cautiously, these sites are great ways for kids to communicate and
share their experiences. When used carelessly, however, they can expose your children to
identity theft and predators.
All social networking Web sites entice kids to join, post personal profiles, pictures and, in some cases, video
that can be accessed by their friends or, usually, anyone else who joins the Web site. For example, MySpace,
the most popular of the sites, encourages kids to "Create Your Profile! Tell us about yourself, upload your
pictures, and start adding friends to your network."
Your job as a parent is to make sure your children tell you before they join a site or create a profile, then
ensure that their profile doesn't reveal too much about them. As MySpace advises in its "Safety Tips" -
"Don't forget that your profile and MySpace forums are public spaces. Don't post anything you
wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., your phone number, address, IM screen name, or specific
whereabouts). Avoid posting anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find you, such as
where you hang out every day after school."
Make sure you know who has access to your child's information. Federal law requires social networking Web
sites, like all Web sites, to post their privacy policy. You'll find a link to it on the home page, usually at the
bottom. Make sure you read and understand who has access to your child's information before they post it.
If your child is under 13, you will be asked to give your permission before the site can share your child's
information. Also, you should know that children often lie about their age to gain access to these sites, and
the sites themselves don't enforce their minimum age policies. So don't assume that just because your child
is not yet 13 that they haven't joined a site. Failure to protect your child's privacy may result in them
receiving unwanted or objectionable email that may entice or trick them into giving out personal or financial
information.
Is she really Cindy? How much does Bob really know about her? Social networking sites allow members to
create private networks that include only their friends. Problems occur when network members invite new
friends to the network, especially "friends" that they have met only online. Even if your children are careful
about who they invite into a private network, their friends may not be. Before responding to Cindy, they
should ask Bob what he knows about Cindy. And you should make sure your children understand that the
people they meet on a social networking site may not be who they say they are - and who they really are
could be a predator.
A good rule is to not give out too much real information - including phone number, email address, home
address, city or school - to anyone.
On social networking Web sites, kids are often asked to participate in opinion surveys. Many of these are
harmless, asking questions about their favorite music or sports. Others are more probing and may ask
inappropriate questions about dating or sex. Some may ask your child to provide personal information in
order to participate in the survey. Set guidelines about surveys for your children. Ask them to tell you before
they participate. Make sure they understand what personal information they should not reveal.
Social networking sites allow users to protect their private networks with passwords. Problems may occur
when a member of the private network passes along the password to new friends, including those they
don't really know. That can give outsiders access to your child's personal conversations, information and
pictures. Also, hackers recently have broken into personal networking sites and created fake popup
windows that ask users to provide a name and password before they can access videos or profiles on the
site. The hacker then uses that information either to hack into your computer or your child's online
information. Remind your child that the purpose of a password is to protect themselves and their
information. When they give it to someone they don't know or trust, they lose that protection.
Whether your child is a tween or a teen, make sure you know where they go and what they do online. Ask
them to show you any social networking site they want to join or have joined. Ask them to show you their
profile and who their network friends are. Read and understand the privacy policies of the sites they visit or
join. And, again, remind them to not reveal too much about themselves. Today, socializing online is
extremely popular among kids. With your involvement, direction, and supervision, it can be as safe as it is
popular.
