'A Parents' Guide to Facebook' great new resource from ConnectSafely.org and iKeepSafe Coalition
Nov 23, 2010 9:03am
By Michael Kaiser, NCSA Executive Director
The NCSA would like to highlight a great new resource from ConnectSafely.org and the iKeepSafe Coalition called “A Parents’ Guide to Facebook.” The 35-page guidebook, written by ConnectSafely co-directors Anne Collier and Larry Magid, both long time experts in online child safety, uses easy-to-follow illustrations, step-by-step instructions, and simple language to inform parents how they can help their kids use Facebook safely.
The guide opens up with a breakdown of what Facebook is, why young people use it, and risks involved in social networking. Basic social-Web parenting tips are also discussed, such as talking with your child, being part of the solution, and trying not to overreact if something negative happens.
The guide also provides background context about safety, privacy and reputation protection in the digital age. It delves into specific social networking topics and concerns, such as monitoring your child’s activities, how to optimize your child’s privacy settings, helping them choose their “friends” wisely, limiting the information they share, controlling who can see what their posts, and reporting problems. Finally, a simple tutorial is provided to explain all of the major Facebook features, such as groups, applications, messages, wall posts, and news feeds.
NCSA salutes ConnectSafely.org and iKeepSafe for creating a simple, easy-to-understand booklet about such a commonly used network. We highly recommend it to all parents whose kids use or are about to Facebook. If you are thinking of purchasing a new computer or connected device for a child this holiday season, you might want to read this before they open the box and connect to the Internet.
STOP. THINK. CONNECT.,