Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace require kids to be at least 13 years of age. However, a recent article revealed many children jettison this requirement. So, “Should parents be concern?”
Of course. Our children are precious–many are naive and lack the mental capacity to make sound decisions. Young children who create sites within these environments may share too much personal information such as age, address, telephone number, e-mail address, photos, and other identifying information. ”What can parents and caregivers do?”
- Be watchful and present.
- Place the computer in a main room (family room, great room, etc.) where you can see the screen.
- Converse with your child about their activities online.
- Let them know they should not enter Facebook and MySpace without your permission.
Consequently, at the appropriate time, help him or her design their page. However, set limits and privileges, and make sure you know their password. Without the password or full access to their page, you will not know whom they are conversing with in the e-mail component of these sites. Finally, you must be vigilant, because even mobile phones offer access to the Web.
Deborah Simmons, Media Specialist
