Apparently, parents haven't gotten the word out enough to their children... or maybe parents just don't understand... or worse yet - maybe we haven't made this clear enough...
Parents talk to your kids about what they're posting online!
There are many reasons for this, but something like this is my primary concern...
- Go to "the Goog" (Google)
- Drop in this search paramter: "school schedule" site:myspace.com -video
- Gasp.
The reason that things like class schedules, gathering locations, and other information is bad to the general public is that, as you already know, there are predators out there who are loving the fact that this information is easier to access than ever! Kids who post this information online think they're providing this to their friends, and generally have the "what harm can it possibly do?" attitude - but parents must change these habits through education and cooperative understanding.
I don't need to scare you into believing that children are abducted or attacked all the time based off of the information they post online, or even by the people they decide to meet in person (from online)... so here are some helpful things to keep in mind and go over with your online kid. Remember, safety is job #1.
Top 5 things you should never share online...
- Your full name, your parents, or your siblings names
- Specific home address, name of school
- Phone numbers, email address
- Specifics of your "routine" (for example, your daily route home, where you have soccer practice, etc)
- "Hangouts" or specific places where you will be
- Google your kids profiles, their Facebook & MySpace pages
- Explain to your children why sharing information is dangerous
- Explore your kids' social networks privacy settings, talk to your kids about using them
4 comments:
I guess you would also recommend to parents to set a good example and not post stuff about their children as well ?
This stuff is not easy.
Stephan
@Stephan- Yes. I have a acquaintence who has a child who keeps posting pictures of their first-grade days, names, places... it's sick.
wont somebody please think of the children!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sorry, had to be said, but what do you expect out of them at that age? if you dont babysit their activities they are expecting things to be rather trustworthy online and their friends want to know when they can play with them and so on... just the way of the world these days, parents using games, tv and computers to babysit instead of spending the time with the children themselves
"I don't need to scare you into believing that children are abducted or attacked all the time based off of the information they post online..."
No, you don't. The nightly news, and the CSI:[insert city here] crime dramas do that just fine. What would actually be more useful than generic tips of what not to share, is solid information on how many attacks, be they abductions, rapes, or murders, actually occur through the sharing of such information. Then we would learn about when such attacks happen, and where they are, statistically speaking, most likely to happen. What, exactly do you mean by the emotionally charged claim "all the time"? That would be useful information. That would be good to know.
I'm not disputing the risk, or saying the tips aren't relevant, and wouldn't even have thought to respond were it not for the statement I quoted above. I'm just wondering about the true level of the threat.
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