Saturday, April 28, 2012

Social Media, Facebook, and Kids

The Parent's Guide to Texting, Facebook, and Social Media: Understanding the Benefits and Dangers of Parenting in a Digital World by Shawn Marie Edgington

Yesterday on our Facebook page we asked if job seekers should allow parents to see their Facebook profile on nanny web sites and we posted an article listing 10 things to never include in your nanny website profile including allowing people you don't know to view your Facebook profile.

For our Weekly Trip to the Library, today we recommend reading The Parent's Guide to Texting, Facebook, and Social Media: Understanding the Benefits and Dangers of Parenting in a Digital Worldby Shawn Marie Edgington to learn how to protect children from the dangers of social media and mobile networking.

It's already happened to 11- and 12-year-old boys I know -- they have received threatening text messages from other kids, received inappropriate photos of women on their cell phones, and seen suggestive images of women undressing online.

We all know there are dangers online for kids but do we really understand how to protect them? Not allowing them to access the Internet, text their friends, or eventually have a Facebook account isn't really practical or possible. Eventually, all children will need to use modern technology, or they won't reap the many benefits of modern technology.

That's why I recommend nannies, au pairs, and parents read The Parent's Guide to Texting, Facebook, and Social Media: Understanding the Benefits and Dangers of Parenting in a Digital World

According to current studies, about half of young people have experienced some form of online harassment. Today’s youth are falling victim to the dangers of social and mobile networking, and textual harassment, cyberbullying, sexting, and online predators have become national epidemics.

The Parent’s Guide provides awareness, solutions, and preventative resources to keep kids safe and secure online. With defensive parenting and constant communication, you can instruct kids about the potential dangers of social networking, empower them to protect themselves from online predators, guard their individualized information, and preserve their online reputation.

The Parent’s Guide shares the fundamentals of mobile messaging, Facebook, and other social media platforms; information you need about privacy and security settings; and measures to defend against  cyberbullies.

Shawn Edgington makes us face facts: we may be earning "A" grades as traditional parents, but getting failing grades as "technology" parents of our grade school and high school children.

Fortunately, she doesn't just shock us with horror stories, but truly illuminates the Internet's dark shadows. She equips us to understand the key technologies, to appreciate technology's all-encompassing role in our children's lives and to protect our children from lurking cyberbullies, predators and "frenemies."

If you wonder whether you need this book, do you know the answers to all of the following questions:

1. What are the early warning signs of textual harassment?
2. Do you know how to use the ignore/block/report function on the child's cell phone?
3. What does the  school's crisis management plan provide about text messaging?
4. Why should you be worried if the child's Facebook "friends" list is very long?
5. What is SafetyWeb and how can it help you as a parent?
6. Why is "checking in" so dangerous for your child?

Shawn Edgington empowers you to keep children safe and secure in the wild world of technology.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It can be quite dangerous to be involved in video games. There's a lot of danger and evil lurking in each and every corner. In this article, we will give you good advice on how to get the most out of the time you have for online gaming. We will also share some innovative recommendations and tricks. Continue below.

Try downloading a game demo prior to purchasing the actual game so that you can determine if you're going to enjoy it. Previewing a game can help you see whether you wish to buy the full version or not. Be careful, though, where you download the game from. Only download from a well-known site to avoid problems with your computer.

Start out as a rookie when playing sports games. These games can be very tricky and intricate, so you will want to learn as much as you can before increasing the toughness. After playing for a few weeks, you can begin to make it more challenging by increasing the level of difficulty.

Limit cheat codes for games requiring skill to play. This is something that you will want to avoid, as it defeats the purpose of the game itself. Some cheats can ruin your whole game but sports related codes are the exception - they enhance the experience.

If you come across a difficult game that is causing you to feel frustrated, it is a good idea to put it aside for awhile and return to it later. If you're not playing particularly well, try switching to another game to avoid frustration. Avoid frustration as it can negate the positive aspects of gaming.

It can be helpful to play a trial version of a game you are unsure about purchasing. Trials let you test the game out first to see if it's something you like playing. If you enjoy the trial, you can make the purchase.

You can go to sleep when you are dead! This common myth is believed by gamers and is also propagated by online websites which claim to provide good gaming tips . Completely false! A person needs a full 8 hours to keep their body healthy.

You don't have to play video games on a wii - if you are reading this, you obviously have an Internet-enabled device, and you can play games on that, too! Lots of wii games also offer versions for computers, allowing you to play your favorite titles on any system.

Play online as much as possible. Pitting yourself against the skills of other online players can improve your gaming skills and strategies. You might want to try Role Playing Games or RPGs as a way to branch out from common wii gaming. If you can master playing online, you can master any game you try.

It can be tempting to go all out buying expansion packs, add-ons and upgrades for your new game. This can get very pricey! Instead, be disciplined with your spending. Check out what you've got in the game you bought and only add on what you can afford.

Figure out how to operate the safety and parental controls of any gaming system that comes into your home. You can likely make adjustments that keep kids from viewing mature content. Some allow each gaming profile to be customized separately, allowing adults to enjoy games not meant for younger audiences.

You can enjoy computer games just for fun, or you can get a world of education and enrichment from them. Hopefully you have learned all you need to understand about computer games from this article.