Whether we like it or not, social media is here to stay. As the adults in our children’s lives, it’s smart to be savvy in our quest to keep them safe while still preparing them for life in a digital world. Are you starting from scratch to comprehend the vast world of social media? You’re not alone, and there’s a lot to learn! For starters, here’s our primer on the ABCs of Social Media.
Once you know what social media is, the next step is learning how kids use it. You’ll want to learn what sites your children are interested in using and find out what accounts they may already have. (Though your rules may be different, most social media platforms require users to be at least 13 years old to create an account.)
Ask your child:
- What do you like about social media sites?
- How do social media sites make some things more complicated?
- Do you ever find it hard follow the rules of digital citizenship?
- What happens when users don’t follow those rules?
- Have you ever been cyberbullied or do you know someone who has?
- How do you and your friends handle that?
- How do you keep yourself safe online?
Open these lines of communication. That way, they’ll know you understand how important social media is to their lives and their friendships. They’ll also be more likely to turn to you when they hit the inevitable pitfalls.
Finally, set some guidelines about how you’ll monitor their activity to keep them safe. Periodically review their social media accounts, as well as their text message logs, and talk about anything that concerns you. Who are they friends with online? Do they really know them? Are their names familiar to you? What are their privacy settings? You may also consider using applications that can help you monitor their cell phone use and internet presence.
To know what you’re looking at, though, you’ll need to understand their lingo. That means learning all about acronyms. To familiarize yourself with others, conduct an internet search for “social media acronyms and abbreviations.” There are a lot! You’ll notice that some, such as POS (parents over shoulder), usually just signal a natural desire for privacy but could indicate something you might need to know about. 
Are there benefits to youth being on social media? Absolutely. In a survey of more than 1,000 13- to 17-year-olds by Common Sense Media, "teens said that they feel that social media has a more positive than negative impact on their social and emotional lives," reported Shira Lee Katz, their director of digital media. "They believe that social media helps their friendships, makes them feel more outgoing and gives them confidence."
Taking steps to keep yourself informed and your kids safer will help mitigate the risks. See our list of resources below for more information about social media, and keep watching Sanford School’s blog for future installments on seeing children through the digital age.
Additional Resources
- Social Media: What Parents Must Know
- Common Sense Media
- http://www.commonsense.org
- This article provides a list and some details about some of the more popular/emerging social media sites:
- Netsmartz Program
- Family Online Safety Institute
- Connect Safely
- The Smart Talk: A collaboration between LifeLock and Nation PTA
- ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education)
- Google for Education Policy
- Student Privacy Pledge supported by the Federal Government
List Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/02/health/acronyms-teens-social-media-being13/
Catherine Kaser, MA, is a writer and parent of two sons eager to be online. Sandy Sutty, MA, is the Upper School Librarian and Technology Instructional Coordinator at Sanford School in Hockessin, DE.
