My ParenTime | Article - The Dangerous Side of Social Networking Sites: Tips for Kids and Teens to Stay Safer When Using Blogs and Social Networking Sites

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Tips to Keep Your Children and Teens Safer When Using Social Networking Sites

1. Never post your personal information, such as cell phone number, address, or the name of your school.

2. Be aware that information you give out in blogs could also put you at risk of victimization. People looking to harm you could use the information you post to gain your trust. They can also deceive you by pretending they know you.

3. Never give out your password to anyone other than your parent or guardian.

4. Only add people as friends to your site if you know them in real life.

5. Never meet in person with anyone you first “met” on a social networking site. Some people may not be who they say they are.

6. Think before posting your photos. Personal photos should not have revealing information, such as school names or locations. Look at the backgrounds of the pictures to make sure you are not giving out any identifying information without realizing it. The name of a mall, the license plate of your car, signs, or the name of your sports team on your jersey or clothing all contain information that can be used to determine your location.

7. Never respond to harassing or rude comments posted on your profile. Delete any unwanted messages or friends who continuously leave inappropriate comments. Report these comments to the networking site if they violate that site’s terms of service.

8. Check the privacy settings of the social networking sites that you use.

a. Set it so that people can only be added as your friend if you approve it.

b. Set it so that people can only view your profile if you have approved them as a friend.

9. Remember that posting information about your friends could put them at risk. Protect your friends by not posting any names, ages, phone numbers, school names, or locations. Refrain from making or posting plans and activities on your site.

10. Consider going through your blog and profile and removing information that could put you at risk. Remember, anyone has access to your blog and profile, not just people you know.

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