subject: Parents: Beware The Social Networking Sites [print this page] Social networking has become the "in" thing nowadays, allowing us to instantly interact and share information with our friends online, but it's also an open portal to meeting unsavory characters we normally wouldn't want to know. Sexual predators are especially on the lookout for young people who frequent these social networking sites. Parent should become aware on what's going on and should take the proper steps to guard their children.
The dangers of social networking should be laid out to your children so that they can be on their guard. Create some guidelines regarding their computer usage, but make it a point to explain the reasoning behind it. These rules may vary depending on how much they need to know, how old they are and how knowledgeable they are with a computer - these rules however should be changed as they grow older and learn more.
There are some limitations that you need your kids to follow no matter what their age.
When talking with people they don't know, they should refrain from mentioning important facts about their family and themselves. Young people should be careful when sharing what looks like trivial things like name, address, grade and school, these could actually be put together so they can guess where you are.
If your children like chatting online, tell them to not to use their real names and instead use chat names that cannot be traced back to them. As soon as they have sufficient data, these people would use the information to determine where your child is and how to find them.
Run a program specifically designed to restrict your kid's vulnerability to offensive sites. Keep an eye on your children's virtual friends and habits, even if it looks like it's appropriate for kids - better check out the site yourself. As a parent, you have the option to limit the people who have access to your kid's social networks.
It is imperative that your children know that you are readily available to them and that they should approach you the moment they feel uneasy about things. Every kid has to go through the difficult process of growing up and learning from their mistakes, but it is also our role as parent to reassure them that they are not alone and that they can rely on us for support. Who knows what surprises they might encounter on social networking sites.
