Social networking: are cyber teens in danger?

How parents can ensure privacy

Many teens do not appear to fully comprehend the public nature of material posted on these sites. Even material shared 'privately' with one or selected others can easily be made public by the recipient.

This lack of sensitivity to the potentially damaging nature of such disclosures is extremely evident on social networking sites, where some teens are posting personal contact information, intimate information, and material that is highly damaging to their reputations and current and future opportunities.

Many social networking sites have established mechanisms that allow members to make their profiles and discussion groups private. Used properly, these features can enhance the safety of teens using the site. For early teens, parents of the group of friends can mutually ensure that all of the teens are using privacy features and all of the friendship links are to good friends. This can create a very safe environment.

Although teens appear to have limited sensitivity to privacy concerns with respect to public disclosure, many appear to be highly alert to what they consider to be parental intrusion into their online activities. Some teens use the privacy features of the social networking sites as a screen to limit parental review. This is not safe or acceptable.

Further, some teens who are making use of the privacy protection features to prevent parental review may also think that because they are using these features, it is acceptable to post material on their profile that is unsafe or irresponsible.

Parents must know their child's username and password to be able to fully access their child's profile. The degree to which these sites make it easy to review a child's activities on the site differs from site to site. If your child is active on a social networking site and wants to restrict your access to review online activities, this may be relatively easy on some sites. One strategy to find out your child's password is to use the 'forgot password' feature on the site. It is necessary to use the computer your child used to register on the site and have access to your child's email account, as the 'forgot password' service will send information to this email address.

Terms of use

Many sites also have specific provisions and processes by which parents can intervene to address concerns about use of the site by their own children. Some sites allow parents to cancel their child's membership. But the degree to which this is possible on specific sites will vary.

Most sites have strategies to seek to identify and remove harmful material and terminate the accounts of users who are violating the terms of use agreement, but it is impossible for their personnel to review all postings. Many sites have millions of members. It generally is necessary for someone to file a complaint to seek enforcement of the terms of use agreement.

If your child has or wants to register on a social networking site, make sure you take the time to review the terms of use with him or her. Note to your child the not-so-amazing coincidence that the provisions of the terms of use agreement are quite similar to your own family's values and standards.

Extracted from Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens: Helping Young People Learn To Use the Internet Safely and Responsibly, by Nancy E. Willard (Jossey-Bass, £9.99 Paperback)