Social media sites can provide a secure way for kids to connect with each other — but they can also be used for any number of nefarious purposes.
The Better Business Bureau recommends taking specific steps to keep your kids safe online.
Explain the Difference between Sharing and Oversharing – While social networking is about sharing photos, thoughts and experiences, explain to your kids that they should never share personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, bank account numbers, passwords or their Social Security numbers. Also talk about what constitutes inappropriate photos or language and stress the fact that while you may be able to delete them, you can never fully take them back.
“Never talk to strangers” applies online, too – One of the first rules we teach our kids is to never talk to strangers; remind them that the rule holds true when online. Even though chatting with a stranger online can seem harmless, the relationship can evolve and grow until the stranger has earned your child’s trust — and then exploits it.
Set strict privacy settings – Social networking sites let users determine who they want to share information with. Talk to your child about restricting access to only friends or users in safe networks such as their school, clubs or church groups.
Keep the channels of communication open – Let your kids know that you are always ready to talk if they are ever threatened, bullied or feel uncomfortable about an experience they had online.
Join them online — If you haven’t already, set up your own account in the same social networks. This will help you better understand what social networking is all about. You can also then “friend” your child and keep an unobtrusive eye on what they are doing.
Federal law requires sites collecting identifying information from children under 13 to get a parent’s consent first. Report concerns about data collection from children under 13 to the Children’s Advertising Review Unit of the Council of Better Business Bureaus at
www.caru.org/complaint.
You can learn more about how to keep your kids safe online at
http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/net-cetera.aspx Don’t go a day without your BBB. Follow us on
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About the BBB
The Better Business Bureau, founded in 1912, is a champion for ethics and trust in the marketplace. Only businesses that meet the high BBB standards are invited to become BBB Accredited Businesses. Today, 128 BBBs across the United States and Canada rate more than 3 million local and national businesses and charities with scores ranging from A to F. Only a BBB Accredited Business may elect to participate in BBBOnLine, one of the most trusted and recognized Internet seal programs in the world.
The BBB serving northern Colorado and Wyoming reported nearly 1 million instances of service to consumers and businesses in 2009. These services include reliability reports on local companies and charities, access to companies that can be trusted by industry, help with dispute resolution, and trustworthy information on consumer and business topics.
Barbara Read, VP Communications Director, 970-488-2035, bread@wynco.bbb.org