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Friday, January 18, 2013

Here are my social media rules for my girls:


  • Linked Accounts in iTunes: At first I HATED that my account was on their iPod and every app they downloaded ended up on my device. Now, I am thankful for it. They can't download any app in secret
  • I'm their friend, literally: Instagram and elsewhere, if the app is social they have to friend me
  • Privacy Please: There's no such thing as privacy online, but keeping their accounts private keeps strangers from following them without permission. However, it's incredibly important to tell your kids that NOTHING is private, ever. Screenshots are easy to take, and friends who aren't as careful can easily share your photos and texts
  • The Talk: No taking naked pics. No passing on of naked pics of others if they land in your stream (my girls still don't understand why anyone would take naked pics, but they're 10.) And as my friend told her son when he got his first phone, no sticking it down your pants. A point worth making. Also, don't post pics of others without their permission, which technically a child under 13 can't give. The same personal info talk still applies รข€“- no giving out addresses, names, schools, passwords and other identifiable ID
  • Turn off location tracking. Period
  • Know your child's device password
  • And here's a really important one for parents: Don't allow connected devices at your child's parties, especially sleepovers. This is where so much trouble starts. Inevitably kids who weren't invited see pictures on Instagram and feel left out. There is also potential for the worst pictures to be taken and shared. And, it's a huge recipe for peer pressure to text kids of the opposite sex, entice mean girl behavior and worse. Tell parents that all devices must be left home, and have a basket in your room to keep devices that come with guests despite your best intent. It's not the worse thing in the world for kids to actually have to play games and have fun without electronics for one day. They can still get in plenty of the usual trouble, but at least there won't be a digital record of it
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