Teach your children about the dangers of posting inappropriate content online

Social networking is a great way to stay in touch with friends and share information on yourself and what activities, such as vacations, sporting events, birthday, that you have been up. Unfortunately, social networking sites have also made it easier for children and teens to participate in dangerous online activities, such as posting inappropriate content to the web and cyberbullying.

According to a survey given by Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization, the time teens spend on the Internet has soared in recent years with 22 percent of teens checking social networking sites more than 10 times each day. With the popularity of Facebook, Twitter and Myspace, children and teens can communicate instantly, upload pictures of themselves and their friends, and post comments and updates. They can include relationship status, age, address, interests and more on social Web sites. Parents should set rules for their children on Internet usage and talk to them about the dangers of posting inappropriate pictures, comments and other personal data. Additionally, utilizing programs such as web filtering and web security software can allow parents to set time limits and/or block access to social media websites during certain times of the day.

Cyberbullying continues to rise, a Pew Internet survey found that nearly one-third of teens had experienced cyber bullying. Inappropriate online behavior can be common because many children and teens feels they can get away with it because they can be anonymous and feel safe in what they are posting. Parents need to be aware of these dangers and teach their children to talk to an adult if they feel they are being cyberbullied.

Proper education of online safety from Parents, coupled with technology solutions, can help keep children and teens safe online.