Back to School Social Media Safety Tips to Protect Families
BEND, Ore. (PRWEB) September 06, 2017 -- Are you putting your child at risk by posting first-day-of-school photos on social media? You might be if you include your child’s full name, school name, neighborhood, or house number in the background. Parents can help their children of all ages be smart with a series of tips from Hueya, the leader in online safety tools for families. For grade-school children, Hueya offers 8 Online Safety Tips for Back to School, https://www.hueya.io/8-online-safety-tips/, and for tweens and teens there’s 10 Social Media Tips for Back to School, https://www.hueya.io/10-social-media-tips/.
Back to school is all about excitement, activities, and making connections. More social connections mean more social media, a big part of young people’s lives. By texting, posting photos and videos, or tagging their locations they could be sharing too much information and exposing themselves to unnecessary risks. As youth across the country head to the classroom and after-school sports, now is a good time to learn and practice Internet and social media safety.
“We already know that more than 87 percent of people of all ages are overexposed online, according to our research and other studies,” said Lewis Howell, founder and CEO of Hueya. “The goal is for children, parents, and grandparents to enjoy everything social media and the Internet have to offer, but do it in a way that minimizes risk and unwanted exposure. As children engage in social media, education and safety need to be a priority in family discussions.”
The need to stay safe online and on social media, and the importance of parental involvement, is gaining widespread attention. For instance, the Federal Trade Commission notes that “the opportunities kids have to socialize come with benefits and risks. Adults can help reduce the risks by talking to kids about making safe and responsible decisions.”
Hueya offers critical Internet and social media safety tips and learning opportunities for parents to discuss with their children, teens, and young adults.
For elementary school children, these tips are summarized in “8 Online Safety Tips for Back to School.” For a deeper dive, parents can also sign up for a free five-day e-course on online safety. Among the topics covered are ways parents can advocate for their children’s privacy while learning to respect those of other students.
For older children and teens who are more active on social media platforms such as Instagram or Snapchat, Hueya offers “10 Social Media Tips for Back to School.” Tips range from staying connected with your youth during this critical period in their lives to embracing a mistake friendly mindset.
Families Embrace Social Media
This past summer, Hueya interviewed families–including parents, youth, and grandparents–to better understand their online needs and concerns. The findings show that families see significant value in social media and are at the same time willing to invest the time to ensure privacy and safety controls are in place. Here is a summary:
• Meaningful connections—Youth, their parents, and grandparents overwhelmingly expressed appreciation for the way in which social media and technology have fostered connections with family and friends.
• Privacy is complex but worth protecting—Across all generations, privacy concerns were clear, and individuals were committed to having the right to privacy while also feeling that their personal information was safe from harm.
• Reputation and information protection are key—Survey respondents noted concerns for misuse of information in a manner that could jeopardize their personal, social, and professional presence and reputation.
The online world is changing fast, and the strategies that worked in the past may no longer be effective. Anne Collier, youth advocate and educator, writes, “the age of ‘Internet Safety’ has moved on, and we are moving well into a time of digital literacy, which involves social, emotional, and digital learning for our families online.”
About Hueya
Hueya (pronounced who-ya) is the leader in online safety tools for families and individuals. Hueya’s state-of-the art software allows users to take control of their online identity and proactively secure their online world. Own your digital presence. Find out more at hueya.io.
Kelly Stremel, McKenzie Worldwide, https://www.hueya.io/8-online-safety-tips, +1 (503) 625-3680, [email protected]
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