A portal to the world: But anything can come down to your child’s phoneSource: Supplied
We have spoke of this subject way back in 2012 but I like to talk about this again as time and time again we as members of the public hear of the crimes commited because of lack of teen safety online. We’re all pretty clued up on Facebook’s safety features — you’re probably already “friends” with your teen to keep an eye on them.
But there are plenty of social media platforms you may not be as prepared for, like Molly, whose 14-year-old daughter was caught in a Snapchat sexting scandal.
“Someone found out about the naked photo she’d sent and spread it around,” says Molly.
“I was horrified. My daughter felt ostracised, she was angry and defensive and it took her confidence.” In fact, the repercussions were so great that eventually Molly’s daughter dropped out of school. “She’s missed out on so many opportunities, it was very isolating,” Molly shares.
So how can you help your child stay safe while socialising online? I enlisted the help of cyber safety expert Susan McLean, the author of Sexts, Texts & Selfies, to help prepare you for parenting in cyberspace.
According to Susan, the biggest dangers for teens on social media are twofold. “Firstly, kids are signing up for sites with age restrictions — there’s a problem with them being on sites they shouldn’t be. Secondly, if they’re not using the safety features, don’t know how the site works and behave in a way that is inappropriate or puts themselves out there to be a victim.”
“Once you’ve got over the question of ‘Are you legally old enough to be on this site,’ you need to sit down with your children and put in place rules around social networking,” she continues. “What’s it going to have, what’s it going to look like, what safety features does this site offer? Spend some time together trying to sort them out.”
1. Instagram
A place to share photos and videos and to follow, share and “like” content from other users, Susan warns that most problems will come from privacy issues. “Ninety per cent of kids on Instagram don’t set their profile to private,” she explains. “So make sure that they know the people who are following them. And if you don’t turn off your GPS setting, then people can get the GPS data of where you were when a photo was taken. So your house, your backyard, your bedroom.”
2. AskFM
An anonymous question and answer site, this site is rife with bullying and has already been linked to several teen suicides. “Anything that promotes anonymity is going to be unsavoury,” warns Susan. “The selling point for these sites is that you can go there and be nasty and allegedly get away with it.”
While there are no safety settings on AskFM, if your child does get into trouble Susan reminds parents that they’re not truly anonymous here. “Everything is recorded and handed over to the police if they become involved,” she says.
3. Kik Messager
A free texting service rated 17+, “Kik is the number one app for sex predators worldwide,” warns Susan. “Within Kik itself there are probably 20 adult content apps that you can connect into and predators love it because they know there are so many kids on there unsupervised and unmonitored.”
4. Tumblr
A popular microblogging platform, it’s also a place that exposes at risk kids to harm. “Tumblr has most eating disorder blogs anywhere on the internet,” Susan advises. “If your child is suffering a mental illness, an eating disorder, depression or is cutting you need to be extra vigilant (because) they can go on and link with like-minded people.” In addition, Tumblr is unsupervised, unmoderated and known to house large amount of pornography, including child porn.
5. Snapchat
A photo sharing app where images “disappear” after a period of time, Snapchat is a huge hit with teens. “However, the images don’t delete at all, they’re retained in the devise so if used inappropriately there can be serious consequences,” explains Susan. While the sharing of naked photos is common, many teens don’t realise the images can be kept, recorded and shared (like Molly’s daughter found out) and can also lead to criminal prosecution for the distribution of child pornography.
With such a mind-boggling number of kids’ apps on the internet, choosing the most engaging ones for your preschooler can be a daunting task.
A great app should combine a good dose of fun with educational value such as literacy, numeracy, creativity and life skills. If it holds the child’s attention long enough to give frazzled parents a bit of a breather, even better.
If your youngster always goes crazy over a certain character, find out whether it has an interactive app. They’re more likely to be interested in it. Just ensure the character is a good role model as children love to imitate.
A way to connect - but also a pathway to danger without some common sense. Source: Supplied
Make sure you choose apps that are developmentally suitable for your child as well. Read app descriptions carefully before you download or watch a demonstration on youtube. If the app is either too advanced or too simple, kids might consign it to the trash bin.
If you’re still having palpitations narrowing the choices down, stick with trusted educational brands renowned for producing quality content. Take note of any reviews for new preschooler apps.
And check out kids’ app reviews on well-known sites such as www.commonsensemedia.org.
Top tips:
1. Check age restrictions before allowing your teen to sign up.
2. Stick to the mainstream sites and use the security settings they offer.
3. Change passwords often and NEVER share them with others. Parents should know the passwords, but no-one else.
4. Watch for a change in behaviour. Often problems online manifest as any other problem in your child’s life. They may want to be online more than normal or they may not want to be online at all.
5. Report any problems first to the platform and then, if that doesn’t clear up the problem, to the police. Cyber bullying is a criminal offence.
— Susan McLean
1. Mister Maker Let’s Make It!
In this new app from the hugely popular Mister Maker, kids can produce unlimited pictures using their own imaginations. £1.99 from iTunes.
2. TicketY Toc Bubble Time!
Kids will have fun learning with two of Nick Jr’s most engaging characters — Tommy and Tallulah from the show Tickety Toc. £1.99 from iTunes
3. TallyTots
Children can learn to count up to 20 with this app, and be rewarded at the end of each counting session with 20 fun games. £1.99 from iTunes
4. Storybots Tap and Sing
If you want to introduce your little one to playing music, this free app features 15 brightly coloured storybots, or musical notes, which produce sounds when tapped. Free from iTunes
5. Bob Books Reading Magic
If your youngster already knows their ABCs, this app is a great tool for introducing phonic sounds at the next level. Free from iTunes
7. Little Red Riding Hood
This innovative app by Nosy Crow is a storytelling book and game all in one. £2.99 from iTunes
8. ABC Expedition
For those grappling with the alphabet, this easy to follow app teaches the difference between upper case and lower letters and has pronunciation by adult and child voices. £1.49 from iTunes
1. BLOGS
For creative teens, having their own blog on the go has never been easier. Reminder: make sure your teen knows how to use the privacy settings and sets password protection before they publish online.
2. EVERNOTE
Created to help students get — and stay — organised, Evernote allows teens to create task lists, keep finances in order, capture their ideas wherever they are, take class notes and much more.
3. CODEACADEMY
If your teen is interested in programming, this app introduces them to the basic concepts for coding. Easy to follow and interactive, there’s more to be had at the Codecademy website.
4. SMILING MIND
Developed by teen expert psychologists, Smiling Mind is a simple meditation tool which aims to promote inner calm, clarity and contentment and general wellbeing.
Please note We had to change Molly's name for legal reasons
Please note We had to change Molly's name for legal reasons