A Message About Cyber Safety

June 6, 2013

by q-tip

Tweens and teens today are, on average, interacting with digital media for 7 to 11 hours a day (according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study), and more and more through mobile technology. While so many of these digital experiences enhance their lives, it is hard to ignore the social and safety issues this access presents.

Below is a list of articles and websites that can serve as a starting point to help you become familiar with the sites and apps that many of your children are using, and can enable you to have informed discussions with your children about how to stay safe.

Facebook:

5 Facebook privacy settings you need to check now, Kim Komando, Special for USA TODAY January 18, 2013

A Guide to Facebook’s Privacy Options

Instagram:

INSTAGRAM AND KIDS: A PARENT’S GUIDE TO PRIVACY AND SAFETY

Instagram And Snapchat Becoming More Popular Among Kids, Facebook Considered Less ‘Cool’

Huffington Post By ANNE FLAHERTY 03/18/13

Snapchat:

Want that naked sext you sent to just go away? There’s an app for that, COURTNEY SHEA, Special to The Globe and Mail, Thursday, Apr. 18 2013

A Growing App Lets You See It, Then You Don’t, New York Times By JENNA WORTHAM , Published: February 8, 2013

“Although Snapchat says that it cannot see or store copies of content, the service still allows nimble-fingered users to capture screenshots of photos. Mr. Murphy calls that mechanism a “feature, not a vulnerability” of the service. Each time a screenshot of a Snapchat is taken, the sender is alerted that the image has been captured. There have also been reports of loopholes and hacks that let people save videos and screenshots. “Nothing ever goes away on the Internet,” Mr. Spiegel acknowledged.”

Twitter:

Twitter 101 – Web Wise Kids

Twitter Safety tips for parents

Who’s Following Your Child on Twitter? Twitter Privacy and Safety Tips for Parents, By Andy O’Donnell, About.com Guide

Ask.fm:

Explained: What is Ask.fm? WebWise (an Irish website, but still very applicable information)

Social cruelty on Ask.fm & the whack-a-mole tendency, NetFamilyNews.org

Tumblr

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-reviews/tumblr

http://info.uknowkids.com/blog/bid/189882/Kids-Safety-6-Things-Parents-Should-Know-About-Tumblr

Omegle:

What is Omegle? Is Omegle okay for kids? BY JEAN – FEBRUARY 20, 2013 From Be Web Smart – For the Analog Parent in a Digital World