MIDWAY, FL - The internet is now a big part in the lives of younger generations and it has some parents worried about their child's safety.
In Teen Talk, Family Therapist Jne Marks shares best practices to keep teenagers safe.
Teen Talk, 06-20-16 – Teens and Digital Safety
Question: In light of the most recent tragedy, one of the things that I wanted to focus on this summer was improving personal and digital safety for my teens. While you've addressed these issues many times, can we do a better job of staying abreast of my teen's connection on the internet?
Answer: This is a great question. Parents all over this country are concerned about the hidden dangers of internet use and practices. As we always do, start with a conversation about personal and internet safety.
1. EDUCATE YOURSELF WITH YOUR TEEN'S ONLINE PRACTICES. Be sure to start early, as early as middle school. Try out apps, games and sites yourself. Explore any sites that respond to or address digital parenting.
2. USE PARENTAL CONTROLS; activate safety settings on your own operating systems, search engines, games. Use parental controls on your phones, tablets and game consoles.
3. SET GROUND RULES AND APPLY CONSEQUENCES AND/OR SANCTIONS. Set time, place and limits for tech use. Agree and sign a family safety contract. Enforce sanctions when necessary.
4. FOLLOW YOUR TEEN'S ON SOCIAL MEDIA, all social media; SnapChat, Instagram, Facebook, Whatsup, Kik. And remember, while you're doing this, encourage a positive online presence. Encourage your teen's to create a great digital reputation.
5. GO ONLINE WITH YOUR TEENS AND EXPLORE THEIR ONLINE WORLD. Take advantage of new ways of communicating. Have them teach you what is going on in their world, but remember, they are always going to know more than you know.
6. TO THE EXTENT YOU CAN, BE A GOOD DIGITAL ROLE MODEL. Curb your own bad digital habits. Turn off your devices at a certain time. You have to know when to unplug. You have to know how to collaborate and create on line partnership with your teen.
7. CREATE A SMART PHONE CONTRACT TOGETHER. Set clear boundaries about what you consider appropriate. Use your Apple ICloud ID on their devices. This allows you to review all downloads and purchases to make sure they are safe. They should not have their own ID until they have proven to be trustworthy online.
8. KNOW YOUR TEEN'S APPS AND PASSWORDS. You should know their passwords for email, Facebook, whatsup.
9. REGULARLY REVIEW ALL PRIVACY SETTINGS. Social media channels regularly change their privacy settings. Always tell your teens not to share personal information online.
10. BE CAREFUL ABOUT LOGGING ONLINE AND CONNECTING WITH OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA. A tip for teens and parents is that third party sites can access and use your info if you choose to log in by connecting to other social media accounts.
11. REVIEW PERIODICALLY THE HASHTAGS YOUR TEEN USES. Hashtags can often be a warning sign for troubled teens including eating disorders, self-harm and substance abuse.
12. TEACH TEENAGERS TO THINK BEFORE THEY HIT ENTER. Social performance is the idea that one something is online it's there forever.
13. NEVER SHARE SOMEONE ELSE'S POST WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION.
Hopefully some of these tips will alert you to good digital safety practices.
