Parents and guardians should monitor where their children go on the internet. Do you ever wonder if your child is being careful and guarding his or her privacy online? Or is he or she vulnerable? The following suggestions are adapted from www.commonsensemedia.org:
Facebook. Anyone at any time can search for your child on Facebook. By resetting Facebook privacy controls, you can help your child to opt out of “public search results” so they are not visible to anyone. This goes for other social networking sites, too.
YouTube. Activity Sharing settings. YouTube’s Activity Sharing settings let you restrict all of your YouTube activities, including the videos you upload, to a closed circle of chosen friends. Review your child’s Activity Sharing settings. While you’re at it, make sure their privacy controls are set to “only friends.” And remember, regardless of your settings, anything kids upload could potentially become public, so they should never post anything they wouldn’t be comfortable showing to, say, grandma.
Chatroulette. This is a video chatting site that randomly connects a user to users anywhere around the world. No registration is required, so anyone with a webcam can use it and do anything they want. Activities include just talking (to a stranger) to playing a musical instrument, to more graphic displays of human behavior.
Talk to your child about online privacy. Children are creating lasting records of their lives whenever they post something. Once something is posted, it will travel far and wide. Have a heart to heart talk with your children about their responsibility in guarding their own privacy.
Names in virtual worlds and online games. Most children’s websites remind them not to give away personal information, and employ filters and moderators to prevent kids from posting it. But children who are active in cyberspace may have avatars, game tags, and other identifiers. They need you to remind them about keeping personal information to themselves. Visit your children’s favorite online world or game and you’ll find other users creatively trying to get around the site’s filters.
Status. Instant messaging is the easiest way to give up your child’s location, but every social network allows you to reveal your current status. AIM, for example, makes anyone visible to all their buddies when they sign in unless they mark “invisible.” MySpace uses an “Online Now” icon. Why does everyone need to know when your child is online? They don’t. The only people who need to know where your child is at all times are Mom and Dad.
Know the facts. Whether it’s a new app, a new program feature, or even a ringtone, new things are coming out all the time. Chances are your child will hear about them before you do. Do your homework on whatever it is and who is doing the selling. In this 24/7 world where information is constantly being bought and sold, you can never be too careful.
The more time you spend with your children, the more opportunity you have to create a loving, Christian home. The same goes even more so when your child is spending time online.
Rod J. Herrera is director, Office of Safe Environment for Children, Youth and Adults, Diocese of Camden.
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