I. S. W. M.It Starts With Me Cyber Communication Awareness

Who is looking…….. Colleges and Potential Employers According to a 2008 Kaplan study, 1 in 10 College admissions officers routinely checks applicants’ social networking pages. Of those colleges that look at online information, 38% report that what they saw negatively effected their views of the student. Athletic departments w/in colleges ask for social media information NCAA Clearinghouse (Potential Athletes to Division I and II Schools) Scholarship organizations also look at applicants social media networking pages. Job applicants are asked to provide social media information during the interview process. Including summer jobs, camps etc. They are the first generation where their Digital Footprint will effect them in the future- let’s make that a positive effect

WHERE does most cyberbullying happen? Information provided by the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University: MARC Research

Sample of Privacy Settings/Issues Face book (older kids are moving away from this) Restrict to “friends” or close friends, don’t let “friends of friends” see posts or public Block certain users Keep Basic settings basic: No need for address, cell phone, to be public-hide from timeline Hide sections: Places Instagram (bought by face book in 2012) Block users Restrict posts: Posts are private, where they post to Limit followers or #capeda Have to accept followers Can block certain followers Ask.FM – Anonymous questions/comment can be sent (Similar to Spring.me (formerly Formspring) Privacy settings for questions- 2 options - Allow anonymous questions - Do not allow anonymous questions – select this one Add user to Blacklist All programs have some sort of privacy settings, you just need to dig around the application to find all of them Default ones are usually the most unrestrictive If a program/application asks to use your location – don’t allow

What’s a parent to do? Have an honest and open discussion with your child Talk to them about your concerns – safety, digital imagine/footprint for future Age Sensitive Trust – Mutual Convene exactly what you think is inappropriate Set expectations and consequences if inappropriate behavior happens Know all their passwords for all devices- have them create strong passwords Make sure they never share or give password to anyone. Make sure you are your child’s friend or follower If there is not a lot of activity they may have another profile they use with friends and the one you see is just for parents Set rules for what information can be shared View friends posts, pictures and have an open discussion about the content Friends post could reflect poorly on your child (picture, comment) What they may think as harmless could result in consequences in school or the law Take down any inappropriate information pictures or posts You can buy software ($40-50) which can be loaded on child’s computer, running in background, which can update you directly through on activities (including texts, posts etc)

Resources Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center: at Bridgewater State University Providing academic-based, high-quality, free or low cost programs, research and resources for education, communities & families. Netsmartz : Our Mission NetSmartz Workshop is an interactive, educational program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) that provides age- appropriate resources to help teach children how to be safer on- and offline. The program is designed for children ages 5-17, parents and guardians, educators, and law enforcement. With resources such as videos, games, activity cards, and presentations, NetSmartz entertains while it educates. Our Goals Educate children on how to recognize potential Internet risks Engage children and adults in a two-way conversation about on- and offline risks Empower children to help prevent themselves from being exploited and to report victimization to a trusted adult The USAA Educational Foundation: Family Online Safety Institute: