From Club Penguin to Facebook, from Whatsapp to Snapchat, from Twitter to Instagram, the ever-increasing presence of social media networks in children’s lives has removed the barrier between a young person’s public and private self. Social media is no longer a way of life for them- it’s life itself!

Gaining access to social media sites at a young age exposes kids to content, people and situations which they are not emotionally prepared for. Children, in particular, do not understand how emotion and intent get mixed up on social networking platforms and things can quickly spiral out of control.  Besides revealing personal information on social networks (which serves as ammunition for online strangers with bad intentions), impulsive young people may also comment on inappropriate posts without thinking. All this sometimes snowballs and children (and at times even adults) land up in dangerous situations that spill out of cyberspace and mess up their real lives.

At the same time, one cannot overlook that social networking has its own advantages- it makes it easier to communicate with coaches/teachers, teammates and friends and simplifies collaborative work on school projects. It can even encourage kids who don’t quite ‘fit into the group’ to develop social skills and foster their identity.

So let’s face it –We can no longer protect our children by simply trying to limit their experiences in the online realm. Instead we need to create an open dialogue with our children and encourage them to share both good and bad online experiences. Let’s talk to them openly about the risks they may encounter online without scaring them. Cyberspace is a fast evolving landscape that we as parents have to learn to navigate. The need of the hour is to keep up with the latest social media crazes and work with our children rather than trying to control them.

Here are seven ground rules that can help you and your family to “be safe in cyberspace”:

1. Educate yourself about privacy settings:  Take the time to learn how privacy settings work on social networking sites and apps, and teach your kids how to control the information they make public or private. Although privacy settings aren’t foolproof, they definitely help you to control who views what you post and manage your online experience in a positive manner. Encourage your children to check privacy settings regularly, since sites’ policies often change.

2. Once posted, always posted: Tell your young netizens to think before they post because there is NO delete button on the Internet – what you post online, stays online!Remind them that their posts can be seen by a vast, invisible audience – some of whom they know, some of whom are friend of friends of friends…whom they don’t know!

3. Be a ‘friend, philosopher and guide’ : It’s a good idea for parents to have access to their kids’ pages/ social media accounts or be a ‘Friend’ to ensure that what’s being posted is appropriate. Parents can protect their children from doing something they’ll regret later. 

4. Be respectful of others, virtually and really! The computer screen acts as virtual wall between an individual and other net users. Being surrounded by four walls, in the comfort of their homes and just a screen in front of them, kids feel as if they are anonymous on the Internet and that their online actions are free of any repercussions. In the absence of a physical threat, children tend to use social media to act out. Make sure they understand that the Internet is a global community that works best when everyone respects each other and that anonymity on the Internet is a myth.

5. Online reputation and digital footprints: Remind your children that unlike footprints in the sand, digital footprints can never be washed away. Recent research has found that more and more job recruiters and universities are rejecting candidates based on information they found online. Advice them to highlight their strengths and achievements, so as to have a good online reputation that brightens up their present and future.

6. Keep personal information private: Be cautious about how much personal information your kids provide on social networking sites. The more information they post, the easier it may be for a hacker or someone else to use that information to steal their identity, access their data or commit other crimes such as cyber bullying, phishing, stalking etc.

7. Use Filtering Software: Install parental control software to monitor your child’s Internet usage. Some of them even enable you to view the exact keys that were typed, time spent online and all computer activity in general. Popular programs such as Qustodio,NetNanny and PureSight PC let you monitor social media sites, block chats, filter content, send weekly reports and much more. You could even use a software program like ‘My Mobile Watchdog’ to monitor your child’s cell phone.