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Just Ask Gemalto: Kids and social networkingOct 27, 2010 (JustAskGemalto.com - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX) -- October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and Just Ask Gemalto is focusing on kids' online safety. Here are some common concerns by and solutions for parents: Q: Are there family-friendly social networking sites to share photos and events? A: There are family-friendly social networking sites that offer several social media components including "Friend" connections for sharing content, comments and photos. Look for sites that are set-up for security so children are not able to share personal information. Typically, a software download and install is necessary to run the application and the sites require registration and in some cases, paid membership. _ TotSpot, an online scrapbook and social network for babies, is a free, family- and kid-friendly site where parents can set up an account and create profiles and Web pages for each of their children. It's similar to Facebook in that you can share photos and information about what your kids are doing by updating their "status." The site's default privacy setting will prevent anyone from seeing your child's page unless you explicitly invite them. They also don't claim ownership to the content you add. _ KidZui and Kido'z are online communities for children from ages 3-12 that give parents total control of what sites their children are viewing. Parents set up the profiles and select the sites their children can visit. Within the community, there are several social networking features including diaries, content sharing with "friends," general blogging, photo share, Web site review blog and email. _ KidsTube is a free, kid-oriented video upload site like YouTube, but with strict monitoring in place. Each video is monitored ensuring a family-friendly experience. Parent-registration is required as the site is not set up for the very young given that reading and logging in is necessary. You can search for members, add friends, and kids 13 and older can post comments. Q: How do I protect my children's personal information on social networking sites? A: Children need to know the details of protecting themselves on social networking sites. A Harris/McAfee poll found that 87 percent of teens go online from a computer or mobile device outside of their home. And, they are not just accessing the sites from their Macs or PCs but also from smartphones and hand-held gaming devices. Here are some rules to follow: _ Never include physical location in status updates. _ Chat only with people you know in the real world. _ Check with you first before installing an application, which can accidentally allow a virus, spyware or other software to infect the computer. _ Avoid downloading free music or videos, which are highly likely to infect the family PC with worms, viruses, adware, spyware or backdoors that allow cyber criminals access to the computer. _ Ensure your children are using sites that meet age restrictions. _ Set profiles to "private" so that only their friends can contact them. Q: What social networking risks should I talk about with my children? A: When it comes to talking with your children about social networking risks, the old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," couldn't be more apropos. Information on the Internet can be shared widely and rapidly, making it nearly impossible to take back or alter once it's out there. Here are risks to discuss with your children when using social media: _ Sharing too much personal information. This includes their cell phone number, address, hometown, school name and your names. Younger children's profiles especially should be set to "private." _ Giving their password to anyone but you. Explain that this allows anyone to "be" you, online. Someone can trick a child with, "Hey, did you know that if you type your password it'll show up as asterisks?" Needless to say, it doesn't. _ Impulsive posting. Photos and comments are online forever. Think before you post. If someone downloads them, they've got them. Or, if Google or other search engines find them they keep a copy of the original content even if it's been removed. You can see that as "cached" if you do a Google search. Tell your children that some college admissions boards and employers are checking social networking sites before they admit students or hire people. Q: What is a good way to get involved with my child's online life? A: One way to get involved with your child online is to take them someplace fun or interesting online that you've found, instead of the other way around. Start when they're young to introduce them to kid-friendly sites you find valuable. For example, Linkopedia lets you choose from among dozens of categories like learning, games and activities, coloring, crafts, songs and animal sites. Or, search on the term "kid-friendly sites" to find age-appropriate destinations. At Whyville, for example, a child can create a cartoon character and play a game in the cafeteria that teaches good nutrition. If the character eats fattening, high-calorie foods, the child will see the effects as the character becomes overweight and unhealthy and may be advised to see the Whyville nutritionist. Sites like these help children and preteens learn to socialize and develop their decision-making skills. Finding and exploring sites alongside your child will be fun and keep you involved with your child's online life. Q: How can I guide my children on using social networking sites safely? A: Educating yourself is the first step to help your child use social networking sites safely. Also: _ Encourage your child to come to you with concerns or questions. _ If they see anything online that makes them uncomfortable, make sure they understand that you won't think they did something wrong or punish them by taking away Internet privileges, a big reason why many kids don't talk to their parents about online problems, according to FBI-sponsored National Crime Prevention Council. ___ For more tips on family Internet safety, visit JustAskGemalo.com, a site dedicated to providing the latest news and tips to keep your personal information safe while enjoying the technology you use every day. JustAskGemalto.com has become a trusted source of information and answers questions like, "What can I do if my mobile phone is stolen?" and "Are passwords safe?" Find more at http://www.justaskgemalto.com/ ___ (c) 2010, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. _____ TO SUBSCRIBE TO PLUGGED IN Items in the Plugged In package are not included in your MCT News Service subscription. You can subscribe to the Plugged In package or purchase the items a la carte on MCT Direct at www.mctdirect.com. To subscribe, please call Rick DeChantal at Tribune Media Services at (800) 245-6536 or [email protected]. Outside the United States, call Tribune Media Services International at +1-312-222-4444 or e-mail [email protected]. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |