Your Kid's Posting Online Becomes their Personal Billboard - What does their brand say?

Your Kids' Online Brand.

What your kids post online could come back to haunt them when they apply for college or a job.

Their posts can lead to being cyberbullied or worse.

Some helpful tips to help your children post things they will not regret later.

1. Know the technology: Visit sites such as MySpace and Facebook.

Set up Google Alerts so you know when

something is said online about your kid.

2. Walk the talk: Open your own social networking profile.

Find out what your kids use and open a profile on that site.

2. Friend your kids: Link to your kids' online profiles.

You will be able to teach them, by example, how to be a good digital citizen.

3. The Billboard Rule: Teach your kids that what they say online can become their personal billboard

defining what people think about them- such as potential colleges or people that may hire them.

4. Digital Citizens: Observe the golden rule – be good and kind to others. Report those who are not.

5. Digital Tracks: Each post leaves a trail. Digital is forever. Anonymous is never anonymous.

A great way to know what people are saying about your kid online is to set up a

Google Alert with your kid's name.

Go to www.google.com/alerts

In the search terms box, type "Your Child's name" within quotes

Select the type of alerts as "Comprehensive"

Select "How Often". If your child is active online,

"once a day" or "as it happens" may be best.

Type in your email address

Click on the "Create Alert" button

Go to your email inbox and click on the link in the email to activate your alerts

Resources for Your Tweens and Teens:

NetSmartzKids.com

ikeepSafeKids.com

kids.getnetwise.org/safetyguide/teens

FBI.gov/kids/k5th/safety2.htm

Resources for Tweens, Teens, and Parents:

Isafe.org

NSTeens.org

SafeTeens.com

WiredKids.org

ILookBothWays.com

FBI.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm

http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/sextech/PDF/SexTech_Summary.pdf

Parents – There are several Social Networking Sites you should be aware of:

Visit them.

Talk to your kids about the sites listed below.

If your kid has a profile at any of these sites, you should too.

Sites:

MySpace

Facebook

Tribe.net

Xanga.com

Sconex

Bebo

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