Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Social Media - How Young is Too Young?

I'll admit, I'm new at this. I don't have adult children inundated with wisdom from their storied on-line pasts. Instead I have (as I write this post) two intermediate elementary school aged children, both of whom are electronically savvy with a curiosity and appetite for social media.

I do, however, have opinions. I think that when it comes to kids and the internet, no amount of supervision is too much or too intrusive. "Their privacy" is for a face to face chat with a BFF in a safe environment such as a basement rec room, and not for on-line social escapades that can't be undone. Think screen shots, servers, forwards and re-tweets.

I also have questions. Is it better to allow for closely supervised exposure and capitalize on teachable moments, or is it wiser to simply deny access?

Am I doing the right thing letting my tween have an Instagram account? We follow each other, and she has to check with me before each post she makes. We scrutinize her pictures for potentially troublesome content, such as backgrounds that show too much of the inside of the house, that could possibly divulge location or that showcase other personal details that could be used against her. I also veto anything that might be interpreted as being ill-mannered. In other words, we sanitize her posts.

Each photograph creates a communication opportunity that reinforces a previously perused safety issue or broaches a new one. Conversations are key.

"Never post anything that you wouldn't want broadcast on the evening news."

As a tween, is she too young? I still have her attention. I still have the upper hand when it comes to social media fluency. She is still interested in what I have to say.

The teaching window is open.








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