Internet Safety: A Teen’s Take On Social Networking Sites

The social networking revolution has definitely changed the way people connect with each other today. I mean, what could be more convenient than -

• Being able to search for that dorky kid in class who’s turned into one of the most happening entrepreneurs today
• Reconnecting with that girl you used to play badminton with years ago (the one who’s got two cherubic kids and a businessman husband now)

Let’s admit it – social networking sites have changed our lives. Everybody’s favorite free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, defines a social network service as one that ‘focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.’

Today, some of the most commonly used sites include Facebook, Orkut, Twitter and LinkedIn. Signing up at most all these sites is free, and all have the feature of displaying user information like name, age, location, interests, activities and job information.

I remember I initially joined a social networking site called Hi5 in 2006, when I was 16. At that time, it was one of the most popular social networking sites around. Almost everyone in school was busy adding everyone else from class. It was so cool to have seniors on one’s friends list!

Soon, we started getting ‘friend requests’ from strangers. We had two options – to confirm them or reject them. At first, a friend request from a guy saying “Oh, you’re so cute. Would you like to be friends?” was flattering for a 16-year-old girl.

Back then many of us found ourselves dealing with as many as ten such requests every day! Today, younger social networking site users are aware of the risks inherent in an online public profile, and are making smarter choices.

Says 15-year-old Rhea Menon from Bangalore, “I add only people I know, family included. I never add people I don’t know. It makes no difference if we seem to have numerous mutual friends.” However, there are some who think differently – like 16-year-old Nandita, who says “Even if a couple of friends know the person, I usually add them. No harm done”.

One of the biggest risks of putting up a profile on a social networking site is the amount of private information disclosed to anybody who has access to your profile. This is especially dangerous for a child or a young teenager, who is probably only on the site because his or her friends have told them about it.

Such youngsters are not aware of how vulnerable their ‘unlocked’ profile makes them to the more unpleasant social elements that lurk online. Says Seattle-based, Vibhu Srinivasan, “It’s not what my child will do that I am worried about – it is what others may intend to do”.

Take the case of 16-year-old Adnan Patrawala from Mumbai, who was kidnapped and killed by ‘friends’ he met on Orkut. According to reports, Adnan’s killers used the alias ‘Angel’, purportedly a female, to make friends with Adnan on this social networking site.

After constant ‘scrapping’ (exchanging of brief online notes), ‘Angel’ finally enticed Adnan into a one-on-one meeting. After kidnapping the boy, Adnan’s abductors made a ransom call to his parents, demanding Rs. 2 crore. The kidnappers then panicked over the sudden media coverage the case generated and killed Adnan.

Naturally, today’s parents are concerned over their children’s activities on social networking sites. Most agree that “banning” these sites altogether is not a viable option. Doing so would only increase their kids’ interest and curiosity, and they may then find other ways of accessing such sites.

However, there are other ways for parents to help equip their children with safety measures. Talking to your child about the dangers of a social networking site – and the safety measures they can take – seems to be the best option.

Says Abhijeet Rane, “Too many parents want to protect their children by not talking about these things.” We take the opposite course and discuss them freely. In our opinion, this leads to a more mature thought process among our kids. Aware and informed is better than ignorant and misguided”.

Nagpur-based Swati Sani says, “I have already spoken to my son about social networking sites. He has been clearly told not to divulge his name, age, location, etc. to anyone we do not know directly.” Others parents like Srinivasan want social networking sites themselves to introduce some precautions when dealing with young users.

“I would prefer if the sites adhere to the Children’s Online Privacy Act (a US Federal law effective from April 21, 2000). This states that if a user is below a certain age, there are restrictions on what you can and cannot do. The Act also details when and how to seek verifiable consent from a parent or guardian,” he states.

The internet can be fun and educational if you follow basic safety measures

What exactly is the right age for a child to join a social networking site? Many parents seem to think that 15 is an acceptable benchmark. Anything below that is deemed to simply be too dangerous. As Rane says, “Face-to-face communication – human interaction – at that age (10 to 15) is paramount.”

Others like Shefali Shenoy think that 17 is a better age for a teenager to join a social networking site. She says, “This is the ideal age, but not without limitations on the kind of information revealed and the extent to which one can believe other people.”

Today’s kids are increasingly using the Internet for anything from research and entertainment to staying in touch with friends and listening to music. These sites are an inalienable part of today’s Internet culture and can be both beneficial and harmful.

Equipping your child with correct information and introducing effective precautions will enable your child to use the Internet more safely – and hopefully make you feel comfortable with your child’s online presence online.

There is no way we can segregate youngsters from the Internet and hope to see them stay attuned to the demands of a rapidly altering era – but I believe in today’s generation of youngsters. The objective should not be censorship but informed use. If you are open to acknowledging that ‘the times, they are a-changing’’, they are happy to being your partners in changing for the better.

Copyright © Geetanjali C

This article may be reproduced with the complete author bio and a link back to http://www.lovingyourchild.com

Discuss this article with other parents on Facebook and Twitter.

Additional resources:

• Teenangels - A program of WiredSafety.org, where teens and tweens learn everything they need to know to protect themselves and others online. Teenangels are a group of thirteen to eighteen year old volunteers that have been specially trained in all aspects of online safety, privacy and security.
• Keep Kids Safe and Aware – Learn how to protect your kids from the advances of predators. 90% of the time or more, the predators are KNOWN to kids.
• Free Report from SafetyWeb – 42% of Kids Surveyed Report Being Bullied Online. Is Your Child Safe?
• KidsWatch™ Parental Control Software – Safeguard your child’s’ Internet experience and maximize the efficiency of the time they spend on the computer.
• PC Tattletale – Internet monitoring and parental control waffleware to record everything your child does when they go online.

Internet Safety Rules – Public Service Announcement

Photo credit CJLUC

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 SEO & More