Social media has been around for a relatively short time- under 20 years– and yet it has become a pervasive trend especially among the younger generations. Over 60% of 13–17 year-olds have at least one profile on a social networking site, with many spending more than 2 hours per day on social networking sites. That’s why I’ll be sharing some social media tips for parents to keep kids safe.
Social media popularity is not all limited to teens, younger children and parents are very active on social media as well. With so much time spent on social media, the obvious question is, “Do you protect your personal information (or that of your children) while on social media?” Many would answer that question with an, “I think so but I’m not really sure.” Today I will share some social media tips parents should know for cyber security and I will also share a nifty tool that provides you with a score that measures your cyber privacy exposure.
Social Media Tips Parents Should Know
As a parent, you have to know that you must monitor your own social media use for safety as well as that of your child.
You might be thinking, “I’m safe.” But are you really? Many people overshare. Do you protect your personal information on social media sites such as where you are and when you were born? Do you protect that information when posting about your children?
Social media is all about sharing but there are some things you should not share. Don’t ever share your private information such as social security number, phone number, or address.
Then there are the less obvious thing that you should not share. On vacation? Share when you get back so that people won’t know you have a vacant house. Also, things like your pet’s name, or the state you were born in may seem innocent enough but they are also common password answers that you may not want to tell everyone about.
One more of the social media tips parents should know is sites such as Facebook have privacy settings. Are you using them? Is the information you are sharing public or restricted to just “friends” or family?
Why monitor your online world? Because the information you share on social media sites can be used against you. Common threats include identity theft, fraud, and cyber abuse.
I hope find these social media tips parents should know helpful. It may be time to take a closer look at how much information you and your children have available on social media.
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