Parenting: The Social Media Guide

The title should probably read more like, “Parenting: The Social Media and Internet Guide.” For whatever reason I ended up lumping a lot of stuff together. Anyway, it works pretty good.

If you have been in a hole in the past two years you probably have no idea what I am talking about when I reference social media or social networking. One might ask how anyone hasn’t heard about these buzz words? I don’t know but today my mom asked me about something called a Kindle and Gmail. I laughed until I realized she was serious. At any rate, for those might no know I have define them below:

Social Media – A category of sites that is based on user participation and user-generated content. They include social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook, social bookmarking sites like Del.icio.us, social news sites like Digg or Reddit, and other sites that are centered on user interaction…from searchinenginewatch.com/define.

or maybe….

Social Media – Any website or web service that utilizes a ’social’ or ‘Web 2.0′ philosophy. This includes blogs, social networks, social news, wikis, etc…from http://webtrends.about.com/od/web20/a/web20-glossary_2.htm

About Me and Social Media

Before I get down to business I am going to talk about why you might consider listening to me. I graduated high school in 2001. While I am young I have traveled through major aspects of what makes the web what it is today. I wouldn’t say I have helped form the web. I would just say I made the journey with everyone else. I was a junior in high school when AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) and MSN Chat (now Window Live Messenger) was very popular. I was a freshman in college when Peer 2 Peer took off. I was a senior in college when Facebook made its way to main stream media. Again, I just happen to be a teen/young adult when high speed internet became readily available to most middle class families. I didn’t do anything special, I was just there when it happened.

Secondly, I am certified high school teacher…business education non the less. While business would appear to be at the root of my degree, it actually catered to the technology industry as well. While I was teaching I taught web design and computer applications to grades 9-12. I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I had to handle internet related problems in class. I know it is different when you deal with your own child, but I have had to deal with lots of teens and the impact that the internet has had on them.

Lastly, I am a dad. While I have a lot to learn in regards to being a parent, this one area I have l little knowledge on. I can remember being in chat room when I was about 14 talking with random people all over the world. I thought it was cool until I was cyber bullied…that wasn’t even a word when I was 14.

Why Social Media Should Be Embraced

If we think the internet has a hold over life now, just think about where we were 15 years ago and where we will be in 15 years. As technology grows it create more technology. For those who haven’t embraced the internet and social media–it is not going away. While I am not sure social media will stay what it is today, I feel as though we will not let go of the internet.

As with anything, just because things are taken advantage of doesn’t mean we quit using them altogether. For instance, just because a church in the past has mishandle money doesn’t mean we stop giving. We don’t stop buying house and getting mortgages because of the housing bubble and scam artists. What we do as a society is learn to embrace change and watch for signals. As long as the world exists we are going to deal with individuals who take advantage of the system.

Reasons why parents should embrace social media…

1. Creates a great way for individuals to meet new people (I do believe their is an internet etiquette).
2. Social Media and the internet has created a great way for individuals to stay connected.
3. Allows business to be world wide.
4. Broadens your child’s learning surroundings.
5. Great place to play games.
6. Sharing of information and advice.
7. Levels the playing field among businesses.

Preparing Yourself As Parents

Learn The Game – Learn how certain popular websites work and teach your kids about them. Don’t take a back seat and let your kids teach you. Teach your kids about what should and should not be displayed as public knowledge. Teach them that once it is on the internet it is on for good.

Be Ahead Of The Game – While it is not my business to tell you how to raise your kids or at what time you should expose them to certain things, other children don’t necessarily feel the same way I do. Maybe you should introduce a few topics to your child before your child’s friend does on the back of the school bus. For example, I know a child who heard from a friend that the Playboy website had great kid games for boys. How shocked this child actually was when he went to the site.

Lock It Down – Don’t be afraid to lock down your personal network at your home. There are several options that make this process easy. I have used a company called Spector Pro. This program runs silently on your computer and monitors everything. Another program is called Net Nanny. But the best solution is installing an external firewall. With an external firewall you can completely control incoming traffic before it reaches your network. You can block sites by category, URL, or keyword. I have an external firewall on my network.

Explain The Importance Of Privacy – Explain the long term things that might arise by befriending just anyone. Let them know that some things should never be told–like personal address and phone numbers.

Laws – Explain the laws about internet bullying, how to avoid it, and why it should be reported if you hear about it. Let them know that the internet is not a place for spreading rumors, spreading spam, abusive language or damaging someones reputation.

Speaking Openly – Encourage your children to speak openly about their internet habits. If you always practice this technique it will not be out of the ordinary for your kids.

Related posts:

1. Can Social Media Take Over The Web?
2. The Neighborhood Mom