Internet Safety and your Family: Part I

Social Networking

Internet safety should always be a priority when you go online. When talking about Internet safety, it simply means to be aware of what information you share. Always be conscious of what you and your kids are doing. Some websites may offer promotional links through emails or ads that can potentially harm your computer; others might request personal information such as PIN numbers, Credit Card information, home addresses, etc…

According to Healthy Canadians, teenagers are the most common victims of manipulation and abuse online and as a parent, it is your responsibility to inform your child about Internet safety because once they go online by themselves; it’s a completely different world.  They are left with a massive repertoire of opinions, information and freedom that can turn quickly into danger. When it comes to your kids’ safety, you may think you are fully aware of what they are doing on the Internet, but are you? If you go now and track down everything they have been doing, are you going to be shocked or pleased with your findings?

Understanding what certain websites offer and being aware of the popular trends on those websites is important for the safety of your family. Social Networking websites have been making a wave for quite some time now and are only growing daily. New and innovative ideas are surfacing every day to make it easier for communities all over the world to communicate with each other. You can do a lot of good and positive things with Social Networking websites but you always have to keep in mind that not everybody uses them for positive reasons and this is where the lines are blurred.

Many of us take the convenience of the Internet with a light heart; disclosing personal details to whomever wants to read it. We will blog our thoughts, post comments and share photos with the world without a second thought as to who exactly has access to our online lives. One thing you have to remember is that everybody has access to it. If it’s on the Internet, it’s open to whoever wants the information and this is why we have to teach our kids good “netiquette” when sharing with the online world.

There are a lot of Social Networking websites available to you. Some are very popular and some you have probably never heard of but regardless of the popularity, they all have something in common: Sharing the information you post. It’s your information and you choose to post it but what happens when the information you chose to share could potentially affect you later on in life? What happens if you type your kids name into the Google search bar? Are you aware of what might come up?  Take an employer for example, it’s a quick and easy way to verify if the person applying is trustworthy or not. If the person is deeply committed with their online profiles and post comments or photos that could look bad for a company, chances are, they will not get the job and that is completely their fault for overexposing themselves in a negative light. Teenagers need to understand that their online lives are not separated from their  “real world” lives; they, in fact, come together in such a deep way that most never truly comprehend the impact it can have on their future. Today it’s an ignorant Facebook status about stealing a chocolate bar and tomorrow it’s costing you the elections. Think before you post.

In the following weeks, I will talk about different websites that can put you and your kids at risk. Today, I’ve picked three Social Networking websites that deserve immediate attention when it comes to your family’s safety.

FACEBOOK

Slogan: Facebook is a social utility that connects you with the people around you

It has been reported that since January 2011, Facebook had more than 600 million active users. As per the article “The Impact of Facebook on Our Students” posted in January 2009 on the National Association of Independent Schools website, it was estimated that 60 – 70% of 7^th graders have a Facebook account. Facebook will also allow anyone to join as long as they claim to be over 13 years old. Our kids may be technology savvy but when it comes to their online privacy, they are naïve and tend to trust strangers that knock on their doors a bit too easily. Facebook does offer privacy settings but it is your responsibility to do the legwork and keep up to date with new settings. There are different settings that you can choose from varying from Only Me to Friends Only to Everybody. Everything you do can be shared with who you choose but more often than not, these settings are overlooked and stay on Everybody, which gives the green light to whomever wants to access your information. Make sure that you go through the settings with your kids and understand what each of those Privacy Settings do.

Although you have a choice to secure your Facebook profile as much as you can, never forget that in the end, it is nothing but a false sense of security as everything you post can be retraced, downloaded and sold to third parties so always be careful what you input as personal details. Make your kids understand that adding their cell phone numbers and home address may sound like a good idea now but always remember that you never know who might gain access to your profile, whether secured or not. It’s always safer to accept a friends request from someone you know in real life.

DAILYBOOTH

Slogan:  Your Life in Pictures

That’s just what DailyBooth is, your life in pictures. As fun as that might sound, it can be very dangerous for teenagers to “booth” everyday depending on their lifestyles. If your teen goes out drinking and constantly advertises that part of their lives through pictures, it is a hard proof of their behaviour and that could hurt them in the future. It is important for them to understand that what is said in the photo caption has a big impact, as well as the picture itself. Anyone has access to the photos regardless if they have an account or not. This puts your kid in a position of over exposure. A picture can say a 1000 words; yes in fact it can so always make sure that there is no clue as to where you live or work in the background. As far as privacy settings go on Dailybooth, you have only two options: Locked profile VS Unlocked. Choose accordingly.

There are also trends to watch out for, such as Naked Friday. Boothers will post a picture they took of themselves while naked to celebrate Fridays. Apparently it has no sexual affiliation and while most kids on DailyBooth will stop at sharing artistic photos, music lyrics and recollections of their day, it doesn’t make the experience any safer or morally right. Since most that participate in the Naked Friday trend are under 18 years old, this behaviour raises serious questions. Every time they post a new picture, the viewer discovers something new about your kid. They like blueberries, they go to (insert name) School, they will be alone all weekend…etc DailyBooth can also conveniently post your updates to Facebook and Twitter for fast and easy way to let the world know you took a new picture.

FOURSQUARE

Slogan:  No slogan yet

Foursquare is a special type of Social Networking. As far as Internet safety goes, Foursquare and websites alike, demolish the idea. It’s a mobile based Internet game. Wait, what, a game?  Indeed, it is an interactive GPS-enabled mobile game. Users “check-in” at different venues and you can post the “check-ins” to your Facebook or Twitter to let all your Friends and Followers know you are at the mall, indulging at your favourite local restaurant or even depositing your paycheck at the bank. Foursquare also lets you add new venues if it’s not available in the repertoire therefore making it easy to add your own home address.

Yes you read correctly, YOUR HOME ADDRESS. Again, I am going to ask you: What websites are your kids browsing these days? Were you aware that a simple update from their mobile can indicate the exact location of your kids whereabouts to whoever wants the information? This alone is a good reason to communicate to them about the importance of Internet Safety.