Social Networking 101 & Social Networking 101 & Understanding Your Kids’ Lives Understanding Your Kids’ Lives

OnlineOnline

Essentials for ParentsEssentials for Parents

How do kids use technology away from school?GirlsGirls Design tools

– Digital Cameras– Photo editing & graphics– Digital scrapbooking

Websites related to interests– Barbie.com– Disney– American Girls– Webkinz

Social networking– Club Penguin– Facebook

iTunes/iPod/Cell Phone

How do kids use technology away from school?

BoysBoys Electronic Toys

– Remote control– Robotics

Gaming systems– Nintendo & PSP– Wii Xbox…

Computer games– Online games

Pokeman Addicting Games

– P2P games YouTube iTunes/iPod/Cell Phone

Different tools to keep in touch

When we were kids… Passing notes Telephone

Today… Passing notes Telephone Cell phone Texting IM (instant messaging) Chat rooms Multi-player games Email Video chatting Video sharing Photo sharing Music sharing Social Networking

Any place, any time…

What is SOCIAL NETWORKINGSOCIAL NETWORKING?

Video: Social Networking in Plain English

Social Networking for Kids…Social Networking for Kids…

What’s the appealappeal?

Status updates – what are you doing this very minute? “Feeds” from friends and other sites – news, updates, etc “Wall” or bulletin board posts from “Friends” Links to interests – music, celebrities, sports, schools,

careers… Links to “friends” and their activities Photo sharing Other options…

– Chat/IM & eMail– Music downloads– Video sharing– Surveys– Games

What are the benefits?

Getting/staying connected with friends/family Expressing yourself & personal exploration Meeting new people; keeping in touch with

old or occasional friends Learning about technology without needing

to be a “geek” Diversion/down time Social/political activism

What are the risksrisks?

Privacy - Sharing too much information and not understanding:

– Who potentially might see it– Losing control of it– How long it can potentially follow you– How it could be used now and in the future– Blurring boundaries of friendship

Viruses/worms – lots of little applications users can’t control and don’t understand

Addiction – Being “always on” has a personal price; lots of kids (and adults) have a hard time controlling the impulse

If you don’t have an account…

Facebook wants you to use their service, so they let you see just enough as a non-user to want to become an active user.

What should Privacy screens look like?

A Visit to Facebook…

Final Thoughts

Video: How to talk to your kids about Internet Safety