Our Children and Social Media

Social media has it's benefits: Staying connected to friends Developing new social contacts with peers with similar interests Sharing content of self-expression such as art work, music and views Developing and expressing your child’s individual identity

Risks Bullying - online "cyber bullying" Sharing too much information Vulnerability to predatory adults Sharing photos or videos that they may later regret Exposure to large amounts of commercial advertisements which may not be age appropriate Exposure to inappropriate content Risk of identity theft Reduced amount of time for physical activity

Facebook 13 year plus Ensure privacy settings set to “Friends only” – not “friends of friends” or “everyone” Keep private information private – don’t let your children post telephone numbers addresses etc Check your child’s friend list – block or delete unknown people Have access to your child’s account Encourage communication with your child about what they are seeing on Facebook

Instagram Online mobile photo sharing, video sharing and social networking service that enables its users to take pictures and videos and share them 13 years plus Go to settings and then ensure "Photos are Private" is set to on. Check “Friends” Look at their Friends links Encourage open communication with your child Monitor use

Snapchat 13 year plus photos taken "self destruct" after 10 seconds Hard for parental control Often used inappropriately Photos can be kept through screen shots ensure that your child’s settings are “Friends only” and not “Everyone” Monitor

Cyberbullying communicate directly with your child-don't be afraid to get involved. If you think your child is being bullied, advise your child to spend less time on the site in question, or flag the bully by notifying the Website. If the behaviour is also happening at school, notify the school's so that they, too, can get involved. establish a set of rules for your child to follow when using Facebook and other social networking sites, and monitor your child’s usage, perhaps even placing a daily time limit Phones / tablets / computers should be kept in safe place overnight – not in children’s bedrooms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=599I1E-rWTU Resources….