Social Media Awareness
As I write this note on social media awareness and technology use, I want to apologize that my last few blog posts did not show up. I obviously am not as savvy at technology as our teens today and should probably recruit one of them to help publish my blog weekly.
Social Media Awareness
Vine, Ask.FM, Fess, Instagram, Kik, Omegle, Oovoo, Preiscope, Snap Chat, Tango, Whisper, Yik Yak, and many more, are the apps that teens and tweens are using right now. Why do I bring these up? Schools and parents alike are trying to navigate how to best support our children in making good choices both on the internet and when using their cell phones. We have found that this can be a very difficult but necessary task. It is necessary because kids today are being exposed sites that solicit them to talk to strangers, send photos of themselves to people they know or strangers, are used to bully students online, or engage in online relationships. All of these scenarios bring a high risk factor to our children. I bring this up because at schools this is becoming an ever increasing concern with our students. What are some steps that you can do with your children to ensure that they are safely navigating technology today?
- Please make sure you are engaging with your child about appropriate use of their technology and the risks involved with some of these apps and sites.
- Monitor the apps you are allowing on your child’s phone.
- Intervene if hear about online bullying and you know who is involved so it can be stopped.
- Set up rules with your child about technology use.
Resources:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/cell-phone-parenting
http://www.verizonwireless.com/news/article/2014/01/parental-controls-children-smartphone-usage.html