Using social networking sites of one kind or another is second-nature to most children. New sites are springing up every day and there are far to many to mention on this page … just look at the photo above, and that’s a tiny selection.
- Tweet this!
- Share on Facebook.
- Pin this!
- Mail this!
- Share on LinkedIn.
Do you know what sites your kids are using? Do you know how they work, what your children and the people they ‘meet’ on them can say or do on them?
- Chatting with people they think are new ‘friends’, but who could actually intend to do them harm.
- Sharing or viewing inappropriate or adult images or other content.
- Being bullied or subject to other kinds of abuse.
- Being dared into carrying out dangerous or irresponsible acts or ‘dares’ on camera.
- Revealing personal or private information about themselves, friends or family. Or arranging to meet in person someone they’ve met online, when that person isn’t who they said they were.
Here are a few of the more commonly-used sites that you may find your kids using. You can find out more about mainstream social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter elsewhere on this website under ‘Communication & Social Networking’.
Many of these sites use live video as a means to communicate, or involve sending photos. This leaves the way open for people to send images which may be inappropriate.
Many have ‘rules’ such as minimum membership age, or the kind of content, images or content members are allowed to share. Invariably, the sign-up process relies on trust and in reality, it is easy for kids to pretend they’re older. (mais…)