The 800-lb gorilla in the social media niche is Facebook. Initially launched as a way for collegiate students to link to each other and share information, Facebook has expanded to the general public and has dominated the social media radar. Facebook allows you to share just about any form of information and media. You can select whom you wish to share your information with. You can be very restrictive and allow only your connected "friends," or you can leave your information wide open for anyone with a Facebook account to peruse.
Although Facebook requires a user to be at least 13 years of age to create an account, there are plenty of children under the age of 13 that have Facebook accounts. My 8 year-old daughter asked me about Facebook the other day, and told me that she wanted to be on Facebook. In my opinion, Facebook is no place for an 8 year-old. In prior postings of this series, I have expressed the need for parents and teachers to talk with children about what is appropriate to share with others.
Mass media would have us believe that the Internet is full of nothing but stalkers, potential kidnappers, pedophiles, and rapists. This is definitely not the case. However, social media tools have been used by those wishing ill-will to perpetrate their crimes. Teaching children to be cautious and wary of potential dangers is a must. Is it wise for a teen or younger child to share their thoughts of affection or distaste for individuals on a social network? Just like in the analog world, word can travel fast and have unintended results. The difference is, when you delete or comments or media on social networks, multiple trails are left. There is no true do-over. Once you submit something, if it has been viewed by someone once, total deletion is normally not possible.
Although its generally safe to share a thought or picture with a close personal friend in person, when you place information and media on the Internet, even within the perceived confines of a social media service, there should be no perception that your information is totally secure. Facebook and other social media services like Twitter are hacked all the time. I have personally had several friends had their accounts at both services compromised. With these breaches, people that were never intended to access information can do some damage. Is that a risk we should expose our children to?
I'm all for allowing older children in their teen years to access social media services. Having said that, I think that parents should work along side any child when they begin social media endeavors. Show them how to be as safe as possible. Teach them that if they wouldn't want the world to see what they post or share that they should not post it in the first place. A good rule of thumb is, if you would not physically share something with the public as a whole, keep it to yourself. Potential employers now access Facebook and social media pages when researching candidates. Keeping your nose clean online is now more important than ever. The digital world will contain much of the confines of our legacy once we are gone.
I scrutinize my thoughts on social media safety and usage continuously. I'd love to hear your comments and thoughts. Do you allow your children on social media sites? What are your feelings about the topic in general?
Thanks for reading.
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