Managing our Children’s Technology and Social Media Use Will Robinson November 5, 2018

Keeping Our Kids Safe Online Internet usage overview The challenge Social media Cyber bullying Gaming Tips

Usage Overview: What* *All statistics are taken from the Center for Cyber Safety and Education’s 2016 Children’s Internet Usage Study. The survey was administered in-person to 192 student/parent pairs from 4th to 8th grades in Los Angeles, St. Louis, Washington, DC and Baltimore.

Usage Overview: Where

Usage Overview: Impact

The Challenge Technical controls cannot ensure kids’ online safety Knowing our children’s online activities is key

Social Media Realize there are age requirements to most social networks and respect these rules, they are in place for a reason. Make parental approval of social groups or networks part of your house rules. Talk about what is an acceptable and respectable post. “Friend” or “follow” your kids so you can check in on their social media activity. You don't have to participate, just take a look as often as possible. Data provided to a social network is stored and, most of the time, it is shared by default. Ensure your child’s profile is set to Private. Go into settings and help them adjust the default controls.

Cyber Bullying Communication: Talk to your children about cyberbullying and teach them to: Report offensive or hurtful comments to you immediately, whether they are the target or not. Be careful what they say, send, post, or blog about someone else - unintentional bullying is still bullying Recognize signs of cyber bullying: Anger, depression, or frustration after using any devices. Stops using devices unexpectedly. Stops accessing social media sites, apps, or games. Uneasy about going to school. Abnormally withdrawn from usual friends and family members Help your children to Take Action: Save the texts/posts/emails. Don't reply to them and don't delete them. Report the ID online and block the user from further interaction Inform schools and authorities about the situation

Gaming Talk about expectations and set rules for time limits and allowed games. Encourage keeping chat conversations relevant to the game. Discuss options for setting up private chats with friends using tools like Google Hangouts or Skype instead of using the in-game chat feature. Implement restrictions in the app store to prevent younger kids from downloading apps above a certain rating and set passwords to prevent accidental in-game purchases

Tips Start Early and Keep Talking: Respect Age Ratings: Don't Enable: Many kids are given their first tablet or Internet-connected device before they can fully comprehend the power in their hands. Your parenting will need to change with the technology so research the latest trends and stay on top. Respect Age Ratings: Don't lie for your child when they want to join a social network, download an app, or purchase a game. These age ratings are in place to help protect your child from inappropriate content. Don't Enable: Set up written ground rules for usage times and keep devices under your watchful eye as often as possible. Keep the family computer in the open (or screens facing common areas) and a central charging station for all portable devices to be parked at night.

Tips Use Controls: Monitor and Communicate: Don't Underestimate: Many new devices, computers and WiFi routers come with parental controls already built-in that are easy to use but are often overlooked during the initial setup. You can control access times and set website category blocking. Monitor and Communicate: Communicate what is an acceptable, respectable (to themselves and others) online post and take a peek as often as possible. Social network posts and pictures will be available to future employers and colleges. Don't Underestimate: Children are likely online more often than you. Use this to your advantage to engage with them and learn together. Password protect downloading privileges and communicate boundaries. Talk about reputation and risk.

Tips Teach Passwords and Privacy: Protect Identity and Location: Help your children password protect all mobile devices and online accounts. Teach them why creating strong passwords is important, how to create them, and never to share them. Protect Identity and Location: Remind your child not to share personal information online like age, school, address, phone number, last name, or anything personally identifiable. Disable photo geotagging and talk about strangers together. Explain Sexting: Talk to your kids, especially once they reach teen years, to ensure they know the legal implications and understand that once a picture has left their hands, it is out there forever; affecting their future, reputation, and relationships. Protect, Update, and Backup: Your Internet browser, operating system, anti-virus, and other programs should be updated regularly. Use an external or cloud-based backup system to save photos and documents

Additional Resources Home devices: Children: https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/keep-a-clean-machine/securing-yourhome-network https://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/15-tips-to-better-password-security/ Children: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/protecting-kids-online https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/for-parents/raising-digital-citizens http://cyberbullying.org/resources/parents https://safeandsecureonline.org/