Our children's toys don't exactly look like they used to. They still blink and buzz and play music, but in a whole new way. Many parents read the WARNING labels on toys, movies and music, but are you just as cautious about the 'toys' that don't come with labels?
As we all know, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are one of our children's favorite past times. But are we taking the time to teach our children how to use these 'toys' safely so they don't get hurt? Our children can be bullied, harassed or even threatened without us ever knowing. Unfortuantely, teenagers are often hesitant to report cyber-bullying for fear that they, too, will lose their 'toys.'
'If I tell my parents I am being bullied, they might take away my phone/computer/iPod. I just won't tell them and figure out how to deal with it myself.
Here are some tips to help your child avoid being the perpetrator or target of cyber-bullying:
- Keep the computer in a central location in the house such as the kitchen or living room.
- Do not allow children to take their cell phones/iPods with them to bed at night.
- Both Facebook and Twitter have easy-to-use reporting tools if students are being harassed, threatened or bullied on these sites. Using these tools, your child can report any bullying or harassment directly to the site administrator. You can find these tools under the 'Contact Us' link on both sites.
- Encourage your child to Report not Retaliate.
- Many 'fun surveys' ask users to give their name, address, mother's maiden name, favorite color, pets' names and other facts that are commonly used as passwords. These 'surveys' are a ploy to get the information needed to hack into your computer and or profile.
- Respect the age limit - it's there for a reason.
As always, talking with your child and showing interest in their day-to-day activities will help you recognize when something's not right. Our children know how to use these toys better than we do, but we need to make sure we read the WARNING label and keep our children safe while they play.
