Expert Interview Feature

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Are we all confused by our Facebook Privacy Settings? Now we know every phone number is listed on Facebook for our friends; we also know our news feed entries can be farmed out to third-party websites; we also know if we connect to our kids on Facebook that connects them to all our "so-called" Friends.

Here is a great article by Social Media Examiner on "4 Simply Ways to Control Your Facebook Privacy." We understand posting photos of our children can be exceptionally scary, but  in the above-mentioned article there is a valuable alternative for creating a list of just our known (as in "real life") friends and relatives and controlling the privacy and access to photos through that designated list.

1. Connecting to Adults: When you accept a friend request from a young person that adds them to your friends. Now they can be seen by all your adult friends you are connected to in your network. Do you know all your friends on Facebook personally?

2. Privacy Settings: Not understanding how the privacy settings work on Facebook puts your kids at risk. Understanding to uncheck the box for public search on the Privacy Settings means that you or your children's profile will not be viewable by public search. You can find a guide to privacy at facebook.com/privacy.

3. Photos or Images of Children: What is a bad idea is to allow an underage child join Facebook just to play games online. The allowable age is 13 according to their terms of use. Placing images of your child in a swim suit or other similar type situations is highly unadvisable on Facebook or other social media sites. Parents make sure you set your photo privacy settings to "Friends Only", but again, do you know every one of your friend connections on Facebook personally? I would limit photos and images of your young children on social media.

4. Tell your Children Never Post Their Cell Phone Number on a Social Media Site. This would seem like common sense, but I have seen cell phone numbers posted on the MySpace pages of teen celebrities where a 12 year old girl wants the teen or tween celebrity to send text messages to them. Parents' number one rule: tell your children do not post their cell phone number anywhere online. In the above instance, that particular MySpace page where that cell phone number was posted received 12 Million Hits!

5. What action steps to take if your child is being bullied in school and/or on social media and why won't schools listen?

Keep digital copies of all entries on the social media page such as Facebook; Report the violation of the terms of use to Facebook or other social media website; Delete the child's Facebook or other social media account. Report these incidents and any others that are taking place in your child's life by certified letter to the authorities at your child's school, by asking for a resolution meeting to stop the bullying offensives with the offender(s) and their parents. If notification falls on deaf ears at the school, contact local police, but make sure you have documentation of the bullying and/or cyberbullying for the police.  The police will investigate the situation with those in charge at school.

What are the current trends in technology and what can we do to increase cyber safety?

Social Media and Facebook Privacy Settings: The minimum age to join Facebook for children is Age 13. Best practice for those 13 year olds and younger teens is to create a group for their peers to keep the connection to adults separate.

Popularity of the game Farmville on Facebook: Under age children are joining Facebook in rapid numbers because of the popularity of Farmville. Club Tuki (The Ultimate Kids Internet) is a much better choice for online games, offered are educational games for ages 4 to 14. Club Tuki has a parental control component built in and is a child safe web browser.

Two Important Privacy Protection Settings on Facebook for Children:

Uncheck the box under Account, Privacy Settings, and Search. This will not allow the public to see a preview of your child's Facebook profile; and Set the "Facebook Search Results" to Only Friends.

What other techniques are available to help with cyber safety?

Protecting your kids online is not difficult. Because of improved technologies now available and in the book The Five Dangerous Trends Concerning Kids, Technology and the Internet we help you layout your Plan of Action.

What are some examples to kick off your Plan of Action?

Use and get familiar social media in order to obtain a better understanding of the technologies kids use. Keep or Create a Dialogue: Talk to your kids about cyber safety just as you would any other topic such as drugs, drinking or texting and driving. Know their virtual peers and friends just as you do in real life and knowing they are the same gives peace of mind. Limit time online; establishing boundaries is always wise whether in real life or online and put safeguards in place.