Social Networking and Internet Safety Information for Parents

Instagram – Is It Okay for Kids? What Parents Need to Know

In many ways, and without reinventing the wheel, Instagram is changing the way people share photos with each other. The mobile app, which is only available on the iPhone, is steadily growing in popularity among the kid and teen crowds, causing parents to take notice and ask, what exactly is Instagram, and is there anything I should be worried about?

Just like with any social sharing application, there are a few things parents need to know about Instagram and how their teen may be using it, so the Yoursphere for Parents editorial team did the research. But first, what is Instagram?

Amazing Mentor! Spotlight Interview with Jeff Sutphen

Note from Mary Kay -

Amazing Kids! is a non-profit organization that does a wonderful job of focusing on all the great things that kids can do, are doing and are capable of doing. I particularly like that they shine a spotlight on young artists, writers and philanthropists. 

I'm appreciative that Jeff Sutphen, such a great role model for kids, was featured as an Amazing Kids! Mentor.

Google’s New Privacy Policy – a Safety Workaround for You and Your Teen

Taking a page from Facebook, Google has now lowered the minimum age required to join Google+ from 18 to 13. They claim that opening Google+ to younger kids will help educate them about social networking.

If you're a regular reader of Yoursphere for Parents or follow any of the work I do in the Internet-safety field, then you know that I fully support any effort to educate kids about online safety practices and good digital citizenship. However, I imagine that Google opening up to teens under 18 likely wasn't driven by the desire to educate them about online safety, but more a desire to compete with Facebook and broaden their advertising outreach.

Prior to the Google+ announcement, Google also announced a change to their privacy policy—which, if you’re a member of any Google service, you’ve received an email about by now. They’re throwing out 60 different privacy policies and replacing it with one that will span across all of their services. And although Google isn’t necessarily tracking anything new about their users, their rehashed privacy policy, slated to take effect March 1st, will make it easier for them to sync all of your information into one “Google profile”.

So What Does This Mean To You and Your Teen?

Online Gaming Safety Information for Parents

First and foremost, it’s important to understand that, one, there are safety controls available on gaming consoles like the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, and two, that there are a number of other safety precautions that both you and your child can take to help protect their safety and privacy on said consoles—most of which are mentioned in the article below. However, whenever I talk to parents about online gaming, I do my best to remind them that just because their child wants/has a gaming console that’s capable of online play, does not mean they have to use the online gaming service that comes with it, be it Xbox Live or Playstation Network. We don’t use the online service in our home.

These services are here when your child is mature enough to responsibly use it, but as long as they live in your house and you’re paying for that service, that’s a decision for you to make.

Safety Tips for Social Networking

Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have become extremely popular in recent years. They’re a great way to keep family and friends updated on your life and connect with colleagues and communities that share your interests. You can use social networks to build a positive online reputation. The first step is STOP. THINK. CONNECT.

Stickam – A Very Dangerous Site for Kids

I’ve written and talked at length about the challenges that webcams create for parents, as well as the safety and privacy risks that they can create for our children. You may have heard of some of the more headline-grabbing sites, like TinyChat and Chatroulette, but have you heard of Stickam?

Like the former two, Stickam allows their members to anonymously video chat with each other. And if you’re not a member, well, you can just simply watch. Thinking about blocking Stickam on your child's computer? I don’t blame you.

Video-chatting is performed in one of two ways: by creating/joining a chatroom group where multiple people simultaneously stream their webcam feed, or by “Going Live” and launching a video-chat room where you’re the center of attention as random users watch your live webcam feed. Interestingly enough, there are “live sex” porn sites that use this exact same functionality.

Screen Retriever Review and Installation Guide

As a parent, I always want to know where my children are, who they’re hanging out with, and what they’re doing. I like to try and give them a balance between freedom and safety, let them grow and mature yet still make sure they don’t do anything that has the potential to harm them.

This idea perfectly describes the purpose behind ScreenRetriever, a monitoring program that allows parents to record and remotely view their children's computer screen in real time. The program lets you “check-in” on your children from time to time without having to be right over their shoulder.

The Value Social Networking Provides Our Children

Five Reasons Why You Should Encourage Your Child to Be Online

Yes, you read that right: encourage your kids to be online and join a social network! As a mom of five, I know how busy our children’s lives can be between school, homework, after-school activities and friends. So you might wonder “when” I’d suggest your child would have time to be online.

Well, that time is any time your child has screen time available to them. Whether it’s the TV, the Xbox, computer, or “iDevice”, these are the screen-time opportunities you should seize to introduce your child to something that will inevitably be a part of their lives: social networking. All the more reason to take an involved and proactive approach so that you can help ensure your child has a healthy, positive, age-appropriate and safe experience.