Internet Safety for Kids

Using Social Networks Safely

Facebook

Social networking sites are more popular than ever, and they've changed the way that people use the internet. Some of the most popular sites are Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and MySpace. These sites allow people to keep in touch with their friends, share links, plan events and more.

For many teens, and even younger kids, online social networking is an important part of their lives, as it lets them talk to their friends no matter where they are. Social networks aren't a bad thing, but there are a few risks that your kids will need to be aware of.

Age Restrictions on Social Networks

Many social networking sites have an age requirement for creating an account. For example, Facebook does not allow anyone under 13 to join. However, many kids lie about their age in order to join — and some parents allow it or even help them do it.

Keep in mind that these age restrictions exist to protect your child's privacy. If your child uses social networking sites, make sure you know what the minimum age is for each site.

For more information about safety on Facebook, you can go to Facebook's Family Safety Center.

To learn more about social networking, check out our Facebook 101 and Twitter 101 tutorials.

Teaching Kids to Use Social Networks Safely

Using a social network

Social networks involve a lot of sharing, including photos, videos, links, and personal information. Many kids and teens enjoy sharing these things with their friends, but they may actually be sharing information with more people than they realize. For example, a 2010 study by TRUSTe found that 68% of teens have accepted friend requests from strangers, and 8% accepted every friend request that they received. That means their "friends" may not be people that they can trust.

As you talk to your kids about social networks, you can give them the following guidelines to help them stay safe:

• Keep your posts private. On most social networking sites, you can choose to only share things with your friends. It's important to always use this setting when possible, as it makes it harder for people you don't know to gain access to your information.
• Check all of your privacy settings frequently. Facebook sometimes reorganizes their privacy and account settings, which can cause your information to be shared with more people than you want. With Facebook or any other social networking site, you should review your privacy settings to make sure that they are set the way you want.
• Be careful what you share. Even if you are keeping your posts private, it doesn't guarantee that other people won't be able to see it. For example, if you share a photo with your friends, they can easily save it to their computer and post it to another website. You shouldn't post something online unless you're comfortable with everyone in the world seeing it.
• Don't add strangers to your friends list. Although it may be tempting to have thousands of online "friends", this increases the chances that your photos and personal information will be shared with the world.
• Keep in mind that things you post online may stay there for years. Even if something doesn't seem embarrassing, it may damage your reputation years later when you're looking for a job or applying to college. Employers and colleges often check social networking sites for information on candidates, so a photo or other post could lower their impression of you.
• Use good netiquette. "Netiquette" is basically a set of guidelines for communicating online. Using good netiquette helps to ensure that the things you say aren't misinterpreted. For more information, check out our Netiquette Tips in our Internet Safety tutorial.

OnGuardOnline.gov has created the following video to show the importance of sharing with care. You may want to watch it along with your kids or teens.

Setting Up a Social Networking Profile

Even though sites like Facebook give you some control over what information is shared, some parts of your profile are usually visible to everyone. If your child or teen is setting up an online profile, they should take precautions to make sure their profile isn't revealing too much information.

Review the interactive below to learn about creating a safe social networking profile.

Kids and teens: To practice setting up a profile, check out the Book Cafe Game interactive on the Federal Trade Commission website.