Digital Parenting and Safety Blog

With the advent of social media and the fact that kids are spending more time on the internet now more than ever, parents need to be extra sure to pay special attention to what their kids are getting into online. In the past, one of the biggest concerns you might have had as a parent dealt with the kind of kids that your child spends a lot of time with. Now, social media sites such as Facebook give kids an outlet that can reach quite literally the majority of the people that your child may know. This can be just fine if your children are trustworthy and responsible with what they share, but some children cross the line, whether it has something to do with sexting, online bullying, or making inappropriate comments.

 If your child has been on Facebook for awhile, chances are that they have run into something on there that you might not agree with as a parent. What is important though is that you are able to instill in your child the knowledge that what they put on the internet is more or less permanently attached to them. There are far too many adults who seem to make this mistake, and it's scary to think that impressionable kids may be even more willing to take their online interactions too far.

 Sexting is one of the more common issues that teens and pre-teens face on the internet. Whether that would be your child sending something sexual in nature, or receiving it. Either way, if it is going on through a social media site, it can be very difficult to catch. Even when kids just had cell phones, parents could, fairly easily, see pictures on the phone or at least check the phone bill to see what unfamiliar numbers might be involved in a large number of texts, or in picture messages. Private messages through social media accounts take this ability away from parents for the most part, unless you have password access to your children's accounts. While there is a reasonable need for privacy, that need is going to be different for your 17 year old as opposed to your 12 year old. In either instance, sexting is cause for concern, especially when dealing with children under the age of consent in your state.

Bullying through online messages can be almost as harmful as sexting, and often, very little, if anything, can be done about it legally. The best thing that you as a parent can do is to communicate to your child that hurtful messages online are the same as saying them to someone's face. If your child is the target of online bullying, try talking to the parents of the people posting the messages. Most parents would be very upset if they knew that their child was contributing to the bullying of another child, and they will usually be the ones who are in the best position to make it stop.

Inappropriate messages, pictures, and comments that your children may be exposed to may require you stepping in and taking action, such as deleting the offending friend from your child's account. Or reporting the user to the website's abuse department. Many people casually share things on their Facebook feeds, these kinds of posts might not be directed at your child, but nonetheless, they will still be able to see them. For younger children, deleting the friend may be the solution, for those who are older, talk with them and let them know how you feel about it.

Social media monitoring is crucial. Parents, you can't turn a blind eye to Facebook. 

If your child becomes the victim of cyberbullying, will he or she have the tools to cope? Parents of cyberbullied kids can do a lot to help, but one important one is making sure that they have access to positive role models. One of these is Ghyslain Raza, more popularly known as “The Star Wars Kid”.

It was only a matter of time: cyberbullying has come to Instagram.

No one wants to see their child being bullied. As bullying becomes more and more prevalent in the media, it has become obvious that bullying no longer just takes on the "Steal your lunch money" tactics of past generations.     

The Age of Digital Parenting

Why Knowing What Your Teen is Up To Online is So Important

Beth Gentrup at Norfolk Junior High in Nebraska is providing seventh-graders Social Network training wheels in the form of an elective course called "Becoming a Cyber Ninja." The course teaches about a wide variety of topics meant to protect online users and promote proper online behavior.  This means addressing topics like cyberbullying, stalking, identity theft, and uses of personal information.

The internet and mobile devices are continually evolving. New applications and websites are developed each day and shared with the world. While many fade into obscurity or into their niche worlds, others truly take off and become more than just another app. While many of these trendier applications are meant for good, their impact and effects can be very detrimental and harmful. One of the newest websites available is known as Spillit, a website that has become as much about cyberbullying as it has social connection. The following explains more about this new application and why parents, adults, and children should all be aware of its potential dangers.

What Is It?

Spillit is a website that has users create a login name and password to participate on the site. The ultimate goal of the page is to ask other users what they think about that individual. With a limited number of characters, other frequenters to a user’s page can answer the question. This is meant to help learn about each other and create a social connection via the page.

Harm and Problems

Though many of the questions appear innocuous, the Spillit application has many potential dangers. First, it is asking participants and users to rate or discuss another’s physical appearance or what they like about one another and what they dislike. While this information may give insight, it can also lead to cyberbullying. It is a free for all for those with ill intentions to harm another by sharing mean or personal information across the internet. Comments and responses can become harsh, violent, or even sexual. The result is an open forum, then, for cyberbullying and gives bullies a platform to speak their minds and thoughts. This location can also have children and teens, even adults, oversharing information that should be kept private.  Also, since users have the ability to choose a username, they can get away with saying these things fairly anonymously.

Concerns

As more and more states enact tougher measures to prevent and punish cyberbullying -- like Delaware’s recent anti-cyberbullying law, many lessons can be learned from other states having difficulties with enforcing and reporting bullying occurrences.

The Internet is an amazing thing. It is a way to connect individuals from around the world, together without ever having to leave the comfort of home. It can be used to gather information that was never accessible so readily and provides for a way to discuss aspects of life with old and new friends. With this power and greatness, though, come many risks, especially when it comes to children. All individuals, including children and teenagers, are susceptible to cyber harassment, stalking, and potential addictions as the result of Internet usage. The following explains more.

Cyber bullying crime and harassment

Cyber bullying crime is a very dangerous action in which an individual is followed, spoken to, or contacted online when it is unwarranted. There is also indirect harassment where outside or third parties may actually participate in harassing behaviors such as talking badly in an open forum about another individual, posting pictures about them, or making jokes at their expense. Though it sounds simple and as if it would just be an annoyance, cyber harassment is real and it can be very intimidating and scary. Children or young adults will often hide or not speak about the problems that they are having with cyber bullying. For that reason, it becomes necessary for parents and caregivers to take a more proactive approach.

Stalking

Stalking may be just as overt as cyber harassment or more ambiguous and hidden. Cyber stalking occurs when an individual’s location, web history, and perusing on the net are followed or trailed by a hacker or by a friend. This can remain in the virtual setting where this information is used to either harass or threaten, or even just to know what is going and occurring in an individual’s life. In contrast, it may also be taken outside the realm of the virtual as well. Cyber stalking can be a very serious offense but can turn even more problematic if the individual takes their actions outside of the virtual and into the actual world. For that reason, there needs to be precautions taken so injury or another problem does not result.

Addiction

The internet itself can become an addiction. Individuals spend hours a day on the computer and with teenager, the cellphone and other pieces of technology are equally as used. For that reason, there is an addiction that can be unhealthy and create an unhealthy imbalance in life, especially a child’s or teenagers. Also the world of the internet can also open up to the susceptible or chance of other addictions as well by exposing children to materials and providing access to certain substances that they may not have known prior. For that reason, this can develop addictions in younger individuals at an early age because of the exposure they are experiencing.

What To Do

In order to protect your child or children from cyber bullying crime, take a proactive role. Educate them on the dangers of the internet and be active on their accounts in order to protect them. Use Parental Intelligence systems to help keep tabs and keep them safe without looking over their shoulders all the time.