How well do you do social media?

 

According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) website more than 550 victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation have been identified by special agents in the first 8 months of 2014. 430 of these victims were located in nearly every corner of the United States.  288 girls were victimized compared to 264 boys. These statistics are a reminder about how dangerous the Internet can be. There are many ways for children and teens to connect through social media today. Smart phones and Wi-Fi have made connecting to social media sites just a click away. Like it or not, social networks are now part of our society and new ones are popping up all the time. Snapchat, Ask.fm, Tinder, and KIK Messenger pose real risks to children, therefore parents should be better educated about the social media their children are using."

Most Americans agree that social media sites like Kik messenger, Snapchat, Ask.fm, and Tinder are easily accessed by children and are some of their most common activities. Any website that allows social interaction is considered a social media site. Just when you think you know all of these sites, new ones pop up and gain popularity among youth.  These sites offer entertainment and communication. Because not all of these sites are healthy environments for children it is important for parents to become aware of new sites and help their children avoid those that might pose potential problems.

Ask.fm is set up in a question and answer format. Users must be 13 years old, but there is no way to make sure they are. The unmonitored site is used anonymously, does not have security settings, and is open for inappropriate content.

According to the App Store: “Tinder finds out who likes you nearby and connects you with them if you’re also interested. It’s the new way to meet people around you.” Users are anonymous until they both like each other. This App is rated for ages 12+ due to “infrequent/Mild Sexual Content or Nudity; Infrequent/Mild Profanity or Crude Humor; Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes. The Tinder app reveals the user’s location so they can meet for a “hook-up”. It is promoted as one of the best one night stand apps.

 Kik is a messaging app for smart devices which allows the user to send texts, pictures, and videos to other Kik users for free. Kik states that users must be 17 years or older, but there is no way to make sure they are. Kik uses usernames and not phone numbers and often these usernames are shared with others on platforms like Instagram.

Snapchat is an app that lets users send pictures and video that disappear after 10 seconds. Users must be 13 years and older, but there is no way to make sure they are. The images do not really go away because someone can screenshot the picture, they can be recovered, and signing the agreement for the App gives Snapchat the legal right to those Photos.

Most children on these social sites are unaware of the risks involved. Most social media Apps have good intentions, but can be dangerous if not used appropriately. According to Detective John Stirling, “The kids might be completely legitimate, not intending anything bad to happen, but unknowingly, they can put themselves in a bad situation.” The following are some of the known dangers to social networking sites: Child predators, cyber-bullying, exposure to inappropriate material i.e. pornography, privacy issues, hacking and password finding, Internet addiction, caught on camera, job background check issues, and potential problems at place of employment.  

This list may grow as technological advances continue and social media Apps are developed. Children need to know that if they post pictures of landmarks or while Location Services is on predators can map their location. Kik contains other Apps that are not verified with ITunes or Google Play. They are designed for adults and may contain pornography. Many apps do not leave a trail that parents can easily follow because they work around parental controls or don’t even offer them. This makes it easier for online predators to meet, interact with, and lure unsuspecting children into sharing information or even meeting in person.

Even when children take measures to make sure their information is available to only a few people, these measures can be bypassed or hacked. Over time, they disclose all kinds of information in a social networking site. Someone can piece together all this information to steal their identity. Websites give users the tools to let the world know about them, and who they are. Social Networking Sites can also be very addicting. Children may get caught up in visiting the social sites more often and spending enormous amounts of time checking out what others are doing and posting their own deeds. They may waste time at work and may end up spending less face time with family and friends.

More and more, recruiters and HR staff are using social networking sites to complete background checks for job candidates.  Entries in today's social networking sites may haunt users in the future when they enter the job market. Entries may seem temporary because they can be deleted if you choose. However, others (friends or even strangers) that saw the entries may have printed, saved a copy, or even re-posted them on their pages.  Posts or pictures could end up divulging confidential information or creating a legal liability for an individual or the company. Because of social networking, an individual’s personal life and work life may no longer be separate.

Because not all of these sites are healthy environments for children it is important for parents to become aware of new sites and help their children avoid sites that might pose potential problems. Detective John Stirling teaches tech safety courses to kids and their parents. He says, “There's a technology gap and kids are so much more advanced than even the most tech-savvy parent.” He says awareness is key in keeping kids safe. Parents need to be aware of the Apps on their children’s devices. If they hear about a dangerous App they need to check and make sure their child does not have that App. Parents need to set up a password with a pin so that children can’t download any Apps without their knowledge.  They also need to know all of their children’s passwords and know what accounts their children have. Parents can check to see what App’s have been downloaded.  For Apple devices go to the App store and look for a small cloud symbol indicating what has been downloaded even if it is no longer installed. For Android devices, go to the Google Play Store and visit “My Apps.”  Click “All” to see which Apps were downloaded but not installed. They will have the word “Free” next to it, rather than “Installed.”

Two expert panels, established by Congress to investigate the best ways to protect kids online, found the combination of education, filtering software and tools enabling parents to make better decisions, were most effective.  One of the best things about user empowerment tools is that they work against all websites, they adjust to match natural age progression, and they can be tailored to meet the values of individual families. Education is so powerful because it “transcends the boundaries of the home- wherever a child is, he will have the ability to make smart choices for himself about what he does online.” Two separate expert panels that looked at the issues agree that education and user empowerment tools are key to protecting children online. They emphasized that education is the most effective way to protect children. Congress has even been urged to fund programs to promote media literacy for both adults and children, which is the most effective way to protect children online. “Compared to other countries, our investment in technology and media literacy is inadequate and piecemeal in nature.” 

Eric Qualman said, “We don’t have a choice on whether we DO social media, the question is how well we DO it.” Technological advances and social media sites are not going away. There are more and more of them popping up all the time. They are becoming easier and easier to access by adults and children alike. There are risks to children every time they download a new App or chat with someone online. Because social media sites like Kik, Ask.fm, Tinder, and Snapchat pose risks to children and can’t be controlled or monitored it is important for parents to be aware of their children’s Apps, discuss the dangers of these sites with their children, and monitor their children’s Internet use more carefully.