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Safe sharing online: 6 dos and don'ts for parents and kids
1. DO think before typing. Just like your parents might have told you to "think before you speak,” “think before youtype”is extra-applicable to children and teens today. Be frank about why with teens and older kids. Let them know that what they put online (or at least screenshots of it) can potentially live on forever. To illustrate this point, you could even pull up an example of something embarrassing that you put on LiveJournal or Xanga in the early 2000s—because oh yes, those sites arestill online today. When discussing this with younger kids, you may want to focus on feelings—and bring upthe grandma test. This means that you shouldn't put anything online that you wouldn't want your grandma to see. It can also be helpful to talk to your kids about how importantbody language is in communication. When we're typing online, our meaning isn't always as clear as it would be when we're speaking face-to-face and able to see each others' facial expressions and hand gestures. A joke that's funny when standing next to a friend could feel hurtful in a text message. 2. DO give credit where it's due. Your kids might not think twice before sharing a friend's Instagram post to their stories or creating TikToks with trending sounds. But it's important to share others' content in a way that gives credit to the original creator. Your kids know not to plagiarize content for their school reports; the same goes for social media sharing, too–that’s bad netiquette (aka online etiquette). Instagram, TikTok, and other social media apps all have ways to share content within the app while attributing the original creator. 3. DO report inappropriate content. Everyone's threshold for discomfort—and guidelines for what's inappropriate—will be different. It's helpful to let your kids know that if they see something that they think isn't okay, they can come to you to review it. Together, you can decide if it's truly harmful. And if itisharmful to someone else or a group of people, you can use the various reporting tools available through social media apps. If you'd like to have extra peace of mind about what your kids will encounter online, using a parental control app with content filtering settings can help. You'll be able to restrict certain types of content, websites, and even keep an eye out for cyberbullying in gaming chats. 4. DON'T respond to unsolicited messages. Your kids know not to talk to strangers on the street; the same goes for social media. Talk to your kids about how strangers online might message them out of the blue ... or even pretend to be someone they are familiar with. If they seem to get a message from a real-life friend or family member, but something feels off, it's best to err on the side of caution, not respond, and go to a trusted adult for help—even if the sender says they're in trouble. Some families like to come up with acode word that they'll only ever use if they're reaching out online for help. This way, if someone calls or messages your child and pretends to be you, your child can ask for the code word that only you both know. 5. DON'T share personal information. While your kids may know not to give out their full name, birthday, or address on social media, there are other types of identifying information that they may post without realizing it. Location tagging is a big one—many social media networks encourage users to share information about where a photo or video was taken. But doing so can provide others with information about where users are, and even whether anyone's at home. Some social media users have even turned snippets of online information into a game. The process typically involves taking a video still or single image and pinpointing theexact locationof the footage on Google Maps. While the game is meant to be fun and harmless, it's a great example of how easy it can be to reveal more information than you realize online. 6. DON'T share pictures of other people without permission. Lastly, it's a good idea to discuss how everyone—and every family—has a different set of rules for what is and is not okay online. While your kids might be comfortable (and allowed to) share selfies online, their friends might not be. It's important to check with friends before posting their photos online, and respect everyone's unique comfort level. And this goes both ways, too. Let your kids know that it's always okay to speak up and request that a photo stay off of the internet, or ask a friend to take down a video. After all, social media should be a fun online environment—not scary or stressful. And practicing good online behavior can help to make that a reality.App safety: 7 talks to have with kids and teens
1. What age ratings mean. Talk to your child about what the different age ratings on apps mean. While the Apple App Store uses actual ages, the Google Play Store uses the "E," "T," and "MA" style labels that are typically found on video games. Let your child know what age rating you're open to (potentially) approving. This isn't as cut and dry as following the age brackets associated with each label. What you're comfortable with depends on your child's age, maturity level, and digital literacy. But communicating a limit to your kids can help them feel more confident when searching for apps—and reduce the number of download requests you have to decline. 2. How apps can expose private data. It's never too early to start talking about data privacy smarts with your kids. For small children, you may want to frame this conversation using real-world examples they're familiar with—such as how eavesdropping or spying isn't something we should do. You can show older kids where to find information about data privacy on an app's download page. Walk through what notifications they may see when an app requests data, and talk about the difference between a request that makes sense (i.e. Zoom requiring camera access) and one that doesn't (a puzzle app asking for 24/7 location data). 3. Ways to stay safe on social media. While it's understandable that children of all ages want access to social media to chat with their friends, these apps can make it feel harder than ever to keep kids safe online. Talking to your kids about the potential dangers of social media—not to scare them, but to inform them—as well as going over coreinternet safetyprinciples can help. You may even want to implement some ground rules to start, such as: No tagging photos or videos with their location No posting pictures of their face—or those of their friends—without permission Only friending and following people they know in real life Telling a trusted adult if they ever receive a message that makes them feel uncomfortable Never sharing photos of themselves with or talking to strangers through private messages Some parents also decide to friend and follow their children's social media accounts. Doing so may give you some peace of mind about how they're using the platform, without the need to access and review your kids' social media accounts yourself. 4. When a message might be a scam. There are some scams that trip up even the most eagle-eyed business professionals, so it's no wonder that people under the age of 20 lost over $101 million toonline scamsin 2021 alone. These scams can come through emails, text messages, and direct messages on various apps. While each scam can look different, talking to your kids about the warning signs (and letting them know that you're always available to take a second look) can help them be on their guard. 5. How to spot sneaky micro-transactions. Not all app-related financial losses happen as the result of a scam, though. Many free-to-download game apps contain optional micro-transactions. A micro-transaction is a cost associated with playing a game—even if the game app itself was free to download. One example of this is a match-style puzzle game that allows you a limited number of turns per day. Once you use up those turns, the app may present you with an offer to spend a dollar or two to purchase more turns. It isn't always clear to kids that these purchase offers cost real-world money. If your kids are regularly clicking 'buy' on in-game pop-up ads suggesting they buy more turns, spins, coins, gems, or other bonuses, your bank account will take the hit. Some parents find it easiest to restrict all in-app purchases for their young children—both Apple and Android devices offer this option. For older kids, though, allowing (and discussing) some in-app purchases can be part of learning sensible spending, digital independence and healthy money management. 6. Why you’re using parental controls. You may want to explain to your kids how and why you’re using parental controls. Navigating app safety for your kids can be tough, but sitting down and having the talk together can make all the difference when using parental controls. This can help them feel more included —and make it clear that you only have their best interests in mind. 7. How to expand their privileges. If your answer to an app or game request has to be "no," you may be able to soften the blow by talking to your kids about ways they can expand their privileges in the future. Sometimes, changing that "no" to a "yes" may be a matter of getting older—which is where explaining age ratings and limits can come in handy! But if your "no" is driven by other factors, such as concern that your kids are already spending too much time online, this can be a good opportunity to talk about responsibility, prioritization, and more. There's no right or wrong way to structure this conversation—you know your child best—but it never hurts to take a chance to communicate and keep the entire family invested in staying safe online.