Kids, Parents, and Safe Social Media
“Why Being Young Doesn’t Make You a Social Media Expert”
Last week Mashable published an excellent article by Rebecca Levey, about why web-savvy kids still have a lot to learn about email, apps and social media:
“I live a good deal of my life online. The ease with which I move between Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, blogs, chat and other social media is second nature and central to my work. It never occurred to me that my daughters would have no idea what they were doing when they entered the social media space. After all, for me it’s just an extension of my “real” life. But I quickly came to realize that of course is the crux of the issue when it comes to tweens and teens online: they are just starting to figure out what it means to be social in their real world. Adding in social media amplifies and intensifies all of the bumbling mistakes, mean girl tendencies and just out right naivete.”
Read the full article on Mashable.
We also suggest these resources:
Talking Back to Facebook: A Common Sense Guide to Raising Kids in the Digital Age
by James P. Steyer
Counsels parents and teachers on how to protect children from vulnerabilities in today’s online and social technology outlets, providing coverage of such topics as content filters, unhealthy media messages, ADD, and privacy.
Cybersafe: Protecting and Empowering Kids in the Digital World of Texting, Gaming and Social Media
by Gwenn Schurgin O’Keefe
From helping children deal with cyberbullying to identifying control systems for monitoring their online activities, this guide steers parents through the often intimidating digital landscape where young children can be plugged in 24/7. Suggestions for setting boundaries by age group, a cyber dictionary, sample family internet-safety pledges, and listings of additional resources are also included.
News articles and online resources:
- CNET – How Instagram Became the Social Media Site for Tweens
- Common Sense Media – Reviews of various social media sites for tweens
- WebMD – Social Media: What Parents Must Know
- Parenting – The Secret Life of Kids Online: What You Need to Know
- Wall Street Journal – Tweens Secret Lives Online