WE are Parenting in an era where technology abounds and where social media can rule our families world. What can we do to protect our children?

1. Have your child wait until they meet age requirements to join social media and are able to follow the rules you set in place. There are age limits put in place to protect your children and you as a parent will know after they have reached the age requirement if they have the right mindset to use social media properly and safely.
2. Discuss with your children the dangers of social media regularly. Teach your children about internet safety. Tell them why it is dangerous to give out personal information. Explain to the what internet bullying is and teach them how to avoid it. Most importantly make sure they know they can always come to you if the encounter someone or something inappropriate.
3. Turn on privacy settings. Help your kids set up their social media accounts. Make sure they have privacy settings on the correct settings.
4. Monitor their accounts. Keep a copy of their logins and passwords. Many social media websites will allow you to be logged in on more than one device. Check in often to see who they are talking to and what sites they are interacting with.
5. Stay up to date on social media. There are hundreds of social media websites out there, as a parent, you need to be in the know. Know what sites your kids interact with. Log in, create your own account, no what is happening.

As parents, we are responsible for keeping our children safe. That is true in the real world as well as the virtual world. Use the tools you have to keep in the know with social media and talk to your kids. It’s up to you to keep them aware of the dangers online and to protect them.