Teen Networking Safety Adelaide SA

Teens worldwide deserve most of the credit for making social networking websites so popular. Their enthusiasm and willingness to try out new forms of entertainment have contributed to the social networking phenomenon. Because social networking is so popular among teens, parents should be aware of some simple precautions.

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and Rule allows children aged 13 and over to join a social networking website without their parent’s written consent, so 13 is the minimum age for many networking websites. However, some websites that allow minors to join do not monitor their content as closely as they should.

Most networking websites state in their Terms of Service agreements that they do not allow sexually explicit, hateful or discriminatory content on their website, but some also state that they are not responsible for monitoring their website.

Groups are a popular feature of many social networking websites?they are composed of members with shared interests. Groups are a common source of sexually based language and explicit photos. This content is usually found under Entertainment, Nightlife or Other categories. Many people also post links to pornography websites on message boards.

Before allowing their kids to join a social networking website, parents should browse the site and conduct some test searches for offensive content. They should also browse member’s profiles, videos and photo galleries and use sexually charged keywords in searches.

If you find offensive content, copy the webpage address and report it to the website’s customer service. If they are conscientious about monitoring their website, they will remove the content within 24-48 hours.

Parents who allow their teens to join a social networking website should encourage them to use a unique username that does not resemble their real name. In addition, parents should always know their teens’ passwords.

Ideally, the computer should be located in a high traffic area of the home like the kitchen or family room. Kids should never be allowed to use a computer in the privacy of their bedroom. For extra precautions, parents can also purchase monitoring software, which records all activity on a computer such as websites visited, keywords entered in searches and both sides of a conversation during a chat.

Teens should never post information that may give clues about where they live such as their real name, address, hometown or school name. They should also understand that their photos and comments are public knowledge. Even if their profile is viewable only to their network of friends, those friends may show their profile to strangers.

Parents do not need to be overly restrictive to keep their teens safe. Some simple precautions from teens and close monitoring from parents can make social networking a positive experience.

References

About...Kids Safety. Retrieved February 1, 2007, from GetNetWise Web site: http://kids.getnetwise.org/

NetSmartz.org. Retrieved February 1, 2007, from National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Web site: http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/ServiceServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=178

Social Networking Sites: A Parent’s Guide. Retrieved February 8, 2007, from OnGuardOnline Web site: http://onguardonline.gov/socialnetworking.html

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