Helping Your Child Make Smart Choices about Social Networking Sites

Thursday, 11/5/2009

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More than half of all children ages 12-17 use online social networking sites, according to a Pew Internet report released earlier this year.

Most teens who use social networking sites say they use the sites to maintain their current friendships, while half report using the sites to make new friends, the “Social Networking Websites and Teens” report found.

When signing up for Facebook, users agree to terms that include:

1. Not providing false personal information
2. Not creating an account for someone else
3. Not using Facebook if you are under 13
4. Not using Facebook if you are a convicted sex offender

When registering, MySpace users also agree that any information they are providing is truthful and that they are at least 13 years old.

The question parents need to ask themselves is: How old should my child be before he or she gets involved with sites like MySpace or Facebook?

“When a child is using your computer, normal safeguards and security practices may not be sufficient,” according to a Cyber-Security Tip posted on U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Web site. “Children present additional challenges because of their natural characteristics: innocence, curiosity, desire for independence, and fear of punishment.”

Enough is Enough (EIE), a national organization dedicated to making the Internet safer for children and families, recommends that children under 17 should not be involved with social networking sites or online gaming sites.

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Posted by » BethVogt
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