Lite98 Parent Talk
September 12, 2012
Liz Pearce, Director of Parent Engagement
Children’s Museum of Richmond

Are you ready for your child to move from the playground to cyberspace?

Using social networking sites is not generally appropriate for kids under 13 years old because they don't understand the repercussions. A pre-teen’s cognitive abilities are rarely capable of truly grasping the abstract complexities of cyberspace. Consider these guidelines that all users of social media should follow, and if your youngster isn’t able to master them independently, he or she isn’t ready to use social networks without supervision.

• Think before you post.
• Be respectful.
• Call out cyberbullying if you see it.
• Know that anything you post online can be used in ways you never intended.
• Use privacy settings.

Does this sound too complicated for your child? If so, it’s likely he needs a few more years in the real world forming relationships and making friends, before jumping in to the virtual world.

Because we can’t exactly ban the Internet or technology these days, parents need to form a Digital Use Plan. There are great ideas on websites like CommonSenseMedia.org and WiredSafety.org for parents.

For younger ages,

• Keep the computer in a highly used area of the home – the den, playroom, or living room
• Position the screen so that you can see the display as you walk by
• Sit with them regularly as they play games or browse the Internet
• Scan the history on a regular basis to see what websites are being viewed
• Set the Internet Privacy options to a level that restricts unlimited web browsing

For teens,

• Learn how to use Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube and Twitter, for yourself first – you may be surprised to discover you like them too!
• Remind them that everything they post, share, email, tweet, message or blog is stored somewhere – NOTHING is private
• Help them set the privacy setting on social networking sites, then play detective and see how much info you can see without logging in
• Be creative with online names – it’s okay to stretch the truth a little bit on your teens name. Using his or her real name can make it easy for identity theft criminals.
• Do your own research about what your teens are interested in, to gain an understanding of the world they live in.

Keep in Mind: Our children may have more knowledge on the technical aspects of the Internet,  but we have the wisdom and experience they lack. You can do this!