No, really, why not? You see, if your kids have an account on one of these sites, then you need to have an account as well, or at the very least have access to their account. We have to check behind our kids to see what they are putting out on the web for the world to see for so many reasons - here is a short list:
- Sexual predators
- Involvement in drugs/alcohol
- Sexual activity with the person they are dating
- Cheating in school
- Signs of depression
- What they think about you
- Colleges and employers look at their pages
Now, I know that is a short list, but really there are many more. I think all of those are huge in the lives of our kids and their relationship with us. But how do you know if you they are putting themselves in bad positions even if you do have accounts on these sites? How do you know that your kids don't have multiple accounts on the same site so they can show you one and their friends others? How do you know?
I don't think you can know 100%, but you can follow it pretty closely with a few easy steps. First, friend them on the site (or follow, or whatever it is on the particular site - if you don't know how then ask them to help you.) Second, check on their profile on a regular basis - that means go to their site and even look at their page while they are on it. If you look over their shoulder and their page looks different than the one you see, it might mean they have more than one. Third, ask them about some of the things they post. They don't have to be big important things, but just asking them in real life lets them know you are not just spying on them. Fourth, don't put mushy, sappy stuff on their wall or they will make a second page. (That means moms, you can't post xoxoxo on your son's facebook page on his birthday, as much as you would like to.)
The biggest part is just get involved and pay attention. Talk to your kids about what they put up and help them understand the dangers without sensationalizing them. And have fun with social media - who knows - you might like it more than your kids do!
I don't think you can know 100%, but you can follow it pretty closely with a few easy steps. First, friend them on the site (or follow, or whatever it is on the particular site - if you don't know how then ask them to help you.) Second, check on their profile on a regular basis - that means go to their site and even look at their page while they are on it. If you look over their shoulder and their page looks different than the one you see, it might mean they have more than one. Third, ask them about some of the things they post. They don't have to be big important things, but just asking them in real life lets them know you are not just spying on them. Fourth, don't put mushy, sappy stuff on their wall or they will make a second page. (That means moms, you can't post xoxoxo on your son's facebook page on his birthday, as much as you would like to.)
The biggest part is just get involved and pay attention. Talk to your kids about what they put up and help them understand the dangers without sensationalizing them. And have fun with social media - who knows - you might like it more than your kids do!
No comments:
Post a Comment