Safety on Social Networks

It is surprising that in this day and age when we are so concerned about our physical safety we tend to totally zone

out on our virtual safety.

Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter are certainly apps that we all have on our phones.

Quite a few of us are aware of the extensive privacy settings on Facebook and maybe even on Snapchat and

Instagram but that is not where the risk ends.

But the worst part is when our teens (who live, breathe and exist on all these platforms) who due to their age and

lack of maturity where their safety is concerned are not properly made aware of the dangers that they can encounter

on a daily basis while using these apps. So read on about this short list I have compiled and talk to your kids about

staying as safe as possible in today’s world of absolute and unshakable connectivity.

Our smart phone is a virtual disaster in our hands. It will store any and all pictures (Yes even the ones we delete as

auto sync might have backed them up on a server) and we won’t know they exist anywhere except your mobiles

deleted items.

When we download any app and it asks for permissions (which we grant but never read) the app has access to all our

data and pictures that are often backed up on the servers of that particular app

Facebook privacy settings change at least twice a year and when they do you are left with all settings open if by

chance you miss the tour that Facebook gives you. Result? All our data is out there for everyone to see.

Any or all live chats allow your chatting partner to screen shot you so a moment of silliness can have embarrassing or

disastrous repercussions later.

The takeaway?

It is imperative that we teach our kids how to navigate through these daily hazards. Believe me once they understand

the consequences they will be better at protecting themselves as they are tech savvy like no one else can be.

Also, while talking to them we must remember that we too were young once and lectures and boundaries were never

welcome. That experimenting and exploring was the crux of life at that stage. So talking to them at that level and

making them understand the importance of taking their security seriously should be every parent’s priority.

 

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