According to research by Professor Tanya Byron, clinical psychologist and television presenter, three quarters of children are visiting social networking sites in secret without their parents knowledge. In fact her research shows that a massive 90% of parents believed they had banned their children from sites such as Facebook and Bebo, but unbeknown to them, their children were still using the sites. A similar percentage allowed their children to use social networking unsupervised.
Click here to read the full article from the Telegraph.
This research highlights the key issues surrounding social networking. The answer is not to ban children from using these sites, but in fact to embrace it and bridge the gap between your knowledge and theirs.
- Set up the computer in a family room where you can always see what is on the screen.
- Sit down with your children and set up social networking sites properly – using all the security features.
- Familiarise yourself with it so you know exactly what is on there and how to change it.
- Talk about it with your children so that they do not feel embarrassed or scared when they have a question or need advice.
Following simple steps like this will bridge the gap and stop children from sneaking onto sites such as Facebook and Bebo, and using them unsafely, putting themselves in danger.
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