On the internet, a social network is an online community for a group of people to share common interests and activities.  It is also a place to explore the interests and activities of other persons.  Social networks, like My Space and Face Book, have millions of users and have also become a popular place for teens to interact…..with or without their parents’ involvement.  Given the widespread use of these services by teens, it is important for parents to understand the implications of their children participating in on-line social networking.  We can not possibly watch over our children every moment, however, it is important to teach our children to be safe when it comes to social networking.

The internet is home to many creative people and simply put….everything is not what it seems.  With a little ingenuity, a small business can look like a large corporation by placing a well-designed web site.  With a social networking site, it is possible for someone to portray themselves as whomever they wish.  There have been several cases where predators have passed themselves off as teens in order to establish communication with potential victims.  There is also the potential for the child to misrepresent their information to pose as an older teen or young adult, unintentionally inviting unwanted advances from others.

In a study of teens’ use of social networking services, 80% of the participants said they had a page on a social networking service and roughly 40% indicated that their parents were aware that they had a page on a social networking site.  Only a quarter of the teens with pages said that their parents had visited their page.   Additionally, 23% of teens indicated that they visited their social networking site more than one time per day and 34% indicated visiting once daily.   This alone can amount to a lot of time socializing for the average teen.

The concern for privacy on social networking sites is paramount when teens are involved.   Nearly 60% of teens in one research study indicated that they included their real name and picture on their page, with 63% posting their correct age.  38% included more personal information about themselves, including place of employment, their school, and their cell phone number.  21% of teens responded that they posted an age older than their correct age, which also is cause for alarm.  Research also indicated that teen girls with computers in their bedrooms are more likely to post risqué information on their sites while teen boys are more likely to post unlawful information.  By presenting personal information on a social networking site, there is also significant risk that younger teens will be approached by a stranger soliciting a face-to-face contact. 

In the last year there have been instances where teens posted damaging material or threats on their social networks, and even posted violent videos.  In addition to the parents’ lack of awareness about their teens’ social networking participation, it is concerning that only 15% of the teens reported that their parents or schools had discussed negative risks of internet use with them.

While our children & teens may want their privacy and independence online, we need to keep a close watch on their Internet use to guard their safety.  There are several risks to your teen in the world of social networking.  The first step to protecting your teen online is they need to know computer and Internet use is a privilege and not a right.  As such, they will not have any privacy. This can be hard for a teen to understand because they desire privacy; however, they need to understand that no information is guaranteed to be private if sent over the Internet and anything they post on a social network could be seen or used by anyone, and for the wrong reasons.

The following are some guidelines for those parents who allow their teens to be involved in social networking activities on the Internet:

Review their site:  Parents should have access to and review their teen’s social networking pages.  This includes knowing the login and password for all accounts, including personal e-mail.

Only use private profiles:  Several social networking sites allow a profile to be set so that the user can limit information only to those people they know by approving which individual users can see their profile. 

Do not use full names:  Have your teen use only a first name or a nickname, but not a nickname that would attract the wrong kind of attention. Also, do not allow your teen to post the full names of their friends.

Do not use other identifying information in profiles:  No information should be posted about your teen’s school, address, home phone, cell phone, e-mail or IM account.  If your teen is going to post pictures, encourage them to use pictures that do not give clearly identifiable details such as street signs, license plates on their cars, or their school name on their clothing.

Communicate:  Encourage your teen to tell you if they encounter something on one of these sites makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened. Stay calm and remind your kids they are not in trouble for bringing something to your attention.

Remove your child's page and/or restrict computer access:  If your teen refuses to abide by the rules you've set to help protect their safety, you can contact the social Web site your child uses and ask them to remove the page. Additionally, you do have the option of restricting computer access.
In the end, nothing is a substitute for direct parental supervision.  Computers should be placed in public areas of the home where usage can be monitored by parents.  Allowing your child or teen to use a computer in the ‘privacy’ of their bedroom could have very negative results.  Stay involved and help keep them safe!

Bill Warfel is a web designer and content management system developer.  He is the CEO of Intelligent Dezigns in Greenfield, Indiana.  For more information on internet safety, please visit his web site at www.IntelligentDezigns.com