Stay ‘posted’ on your children’s social media
A local counsellor, Juanita Marx, and Amanda Swanepoel, a social worker, explain what needs to be taken into consideration and monitored when it comes to your child's internet activity.
POLOKWANE – When it comes to the internet and social media, there are many factors parents need to take into consideration when it comes to keeping your child safe.
Review spoke to several authorities on what parents can do to keep their children safe from online predators and unwanted exposure to information following the spate of incidents, both locally and nationally, of people, especially children, being blackmailed by what they post on the internet.
A local counsellor, Juanita Marx, and Amanda Swanepoel, a social worker, about what needs to be taken into consideration and monitored when it comes to your child’s internet activity.
“Children most often get their first encounter with the internet and social media at home. It is important that there are ground rules in place, that are also being enforced, to start children of on the right path,” Marx advised.
Swanepoel gave the following tips for monitoring your child’s internet and social media activity.
No underage Face-booking:
Did you know that no one under the age of 13 is permitted to join Facebook?
You need to make sure that your child stays away from Facebook until 13 and until you are comfortable with them having an account.
However, there is no real way for Facebook to truly enforce it, because anyone can lie about their year of birth.
Check their privacy settings:
Ensure the privacy settings for Facebook and other social media sites are set to the strictest levels to avoid unsavory elements from having access to your child’s activity.
Use filtering software:
There are software suites available to monitor your child’s internet usage.
Many even enable you to view the exact keys that were typed, time spent online and all computer activity in general.
Create ground rules:
If your children are old enough to use the computer on their own, they are old enough to understand there are rules they need to abide by.
Have certain rules in place and enforce them.
Get to know what your child’s habits are:
You don’t need to be a super sleuth and spy on your child’s every online move, but it is important to be aware of the kinds of sites they frequent and the people they associate with.
Keep the computer in a central location:
It’s much easier to keep tabs on any online activity when the computer is located in a high-traffic zone than if your child is using a computer in the privacy of their own room.
Monitor the pictures your child posts online:
In an ideal world, your child would never post a photo of themselves online, but that might not be entirely realistic.
Instead monitor the type of pictures your child posts online and make sure they are suitable.
Set a good example of how to use social media:
If you are tweeting and updating your Facebook page at a stop light and taking every opportunity to “just check something”, you’re setting a poor precedent for social media usage that your child will surely follow.
Limit cell phone use:
Just as you would limit the use of a computer, TV or gaming system, you can do the same with a cell phone.
Teach children about an online reputation:
Many children don’t seem to understand the permanence of the online world. Make sure to stress to your children what a digital footprint is and the impact inappropriate posts can have on their reputation.
