Social Networking
Internet Safety Educator
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Social Networking The Good and The Bad
The popularity of social networking websites have skyrocketed. While some aspects of social networking may be positive, there is a darker side to this growing phenomenon which is causing concern for parents and educators.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), 61% of children between the ages of 13-17 years of age, have a user profile on a social networking site and most access these sites from home. 5% of children access social networking sites, but have not created a profile. What is the appeal of social networking sites?
Social networking allows you to connect with others worldwide in the privacy of your own home; it is usually free and is instantaneous These sites allow you to keep in touch with old friends, and establish new friendships. You can share music, videos, photographs or your deepest thoughts with one person, or with many. They provide an outlet for creativity and expression and can be just plain fun! These sites may enable those who are shy or awkward to hone their social skills without face-to-face contact.
There is, however, a darker side of social networking.
According to Pew Internet & American Life Project, 79% of teenagers report they are not careful enough divulging information online. The amount of personal information disclosed, such as full name, phone, school name or location, grade, date of birth, etc, may expose users to those with bad intentions such as online predators or pedophiles. The Youth Internet Safety Survey II states 1 out of 7 children between 10-17 years of age have been sexually approached or solicited online. Of those exposures, most occur at home, and alarmingly only 25% of children told a parent.
62% of children say or do things online they would not want their parents to see. Being “anonymous”, either real or perceived, may be alluring and may allow people to say things online they would not in “real life”. Other concerns are imposter profiles and faux websites (people pretending to be a teacher or principals or even you), “profile identity theft”, cyber bullying, cyber stalking, Internet addiction, identity theft crimes, exposure to pornography, access to dangerous communities such as hate sites, are all troubling issues we need to be aware of.
The use of alcohol, drugs or sexually provocative pictures, videos or comments posted online, are troubling. Besides showing risky behavior, some statistics suggest a high percentage of employers now include social networking sites in their background checks, resulting in “qualified” employees not being considered for hire.
Some social networking sites are taking steps to provide a safer online environment for our children. Specifically, some have age restrictions, although enforcement may be difficult. (MySpace deletes thousands of profiles due to misrepresentation of age) Some profiles are automatically set to “private” or invisible depending on age, to prevent strangers from contacting a younger person. An over/under blocking tool prevents users under 18 from contact by those over 18. Some sites allow parents to delete their child’s account with or without knowing the child’s password. MySpace is partnering with NCMEC to distribute localized AMBER alerts and will offer free parental monitoring software, Zephyr, which will be discussed in the next column along with safety tips for parents and children who utilize social networking websites.
Tip: What you publish online today, may come back to haunt you tomorrow
© 2007, Jace Shoemaker-Galloway
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