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.
The danger of individuals who attempt to sexually exploit children through online sites is one of EIE's major concerns.
Law enforcement will confirm that it is difficult to protect kids on these sites because it is impossible to detect disguised predators online, according to EIE’s postion statement on social networking sites.
If your child has a Facebook or MySpace account, what kind of guidelines can you establish? OnGuard Online suggests these tips:
1. Help your kids understand what information should be private – name, address, phone number, social security number, name of their school
2. Use privacy settings to restrict who can access and post on your child's website – Limit who can see you child’s account—and explain why you are doing this.
3. Tell your kids to trust their gut if they have suspicions – Encourage them to tell you if they feel threatened by someone or are uncomfortable about something online.
4. Talk to your kids about online bullying and the inappropriateness of sex talk online
More information:
Reality Check: children and the dangers of online pornography (Part 1)
Reality Check: Practical ways to protect children from online pornography (Part 2)
Age-Based Guidelines
Social Web Safety Tips for Teens
The Police Notebook: Kid Safety on the Internet
Comments
This has become one of the most pressing concerns today. Our latest blog post also tackles the same issue. Website policies regarding age limitations are ineffective since children lie about these. As a parent the only recourse is through communication and monitoring. One way is to keep the computer in a centralized area, like the study or the sitting room, that makes it easy to regulate what kids are doing even if you are busy.
This is a great article. Thank you. My children, nieces and nephews have rules for social networking sites. The first rule is that the first people they invite as friends are their parents, aunts and uncles.
We all watch each child's networking pages closely, and we all communicate with the children and their parents about what we see. We also monitor our children's online use.
Thanks for this article. My biggest frustration as a parent is that almost all of my kids' friends have Facebook accounts even though they're well below age 13. Their parents let them so they can play the games and such. My kids accept that they have to follow the rules, but it's hard when their friends all say "My mom says it's fine." Not only are the kids in danger of encountering things or people that are unsafe, but it also sends the message that you don't have to follow the rules if you don't like them.
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