Heartbreaking: The parents of Ashley Scott, a 14-year-old cheerleader who died by suicide, believe Ashley and other girls were cyberbullied and tormented during school hours. Such a sad story. Parents, talk to your kids about this. You never know what pain they’re hiding. Remind them they’re never alone.
Posting pics of kids on social media: Do’s and don'ts
What started as a fun way to keep in touch with friends and family has devolved into a hotbed of fake news, scams, data breaches cyberbullying and little to no privacy.
Social media has come a long way from its roots, and most news is bad. But it’s one thing to put yourself out there and another to post information about your children. Social media on its own is harmful to children without your involvement. Don’t make it worse. Consider this your tech etiquette lesson of the day.
1. Did you try asking?
We get it. You’re proud of your kid’s game-winning home run or that they got a scholarship to their college of choice. You’re itching to share it with the world, but have you thought about how your child might feel?
Take your kid’s emotions into account. Your posts may embarrass them (long before social media, most of us faced embarrassment from our parents, as well-intentioned as it may have been). Your kid may not want to show off their achievements.
Ask them if it’s OK to post stuff about them. This not only shows you respect their feelings, but it’ll also teach them to do the same when sharing people’s news with others, social networks or otherwise.
2. Don’t overshare
Most social networks can share your location when you post, but it’s not mandatory. This is a safety and privacy feature you should be mindful of. Why does anyone need to know where you are unless you contact them personally?
Now think of how the risk goes up when it involves a child. Consider this example of a wholesome post: “Dropped my daughter off at the Broadway Mall today. She’s growing up so fast.”
OK, you’re venting your thoughts to your followers. Nothing wrong with that, except there’s way too much information. Now anyone who sees your post knows exactly where your daughter is. And even if your profile is private, that information can leak out beyond your network of friends and family.
Don’t ever give hints of where your child is at any time. The same applies to photos, which can also give away their location.
RELATED: 5 social media dos and don’ts to protect your privacy and security
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My friend’s 15-year-old son gets tons of abusive comments from internet strangers. He’s never seen any of them — but his mom has. That’s because she uses some of the best parental control apps to protect her son from digital predators.
Online abuse is more common than ever. Do this to stop cyberstalkers
Online harassment victimizes 40% of Americans. The number of Americans who say they’ve been victims of cyberbullying is frightening. According to the Pew Research Center, online abuse is only getting worse.
Cyberstalking can happen to anyone, and it can damage every aspect of your life, from friendships to your future career. You can encounter many different types of nastiness: harassment, name-calling, sexual harassment, and even death threats.
New! Tech safety contract for kids (free download)
Modern kids grew up alongside technology, so they often take it for granted. They may not understand digital dangers like scammers, hackers and child predators. That’s why I created this technology contract for kids.
Good enough for government work: Elon Musk is talking about bloated government departments and wasted taxpayer dollars in posts to his 205 million X followers. He’s targeting specific federal employees, too, like Ashley Thomas, who makes $172,075 a year as the director of climate diversification for the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. This sparked a ton of memes and ridicule, such as, “Sorry Ashley Thomas Gravy Train is Over.” Ouch.