Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you! It’s time for the October Tween Meme! You can check out the other Emblazoners Posts by clicking this link: http://emblazoners.com/tween-the-weekends
I decided to write about something that is prevalent in our society right now, and that is Social Networking. It seems like new social networks are popping up all over the internet. What exactly is it?
Social Networking is the grouping of individuals into specific categories. For example, you could join a group if you love reading where the focus is on books. You could even join a group that enjoys a specific genre, like mysteries. There are all kinds of groups available, and people only join a particular group if they are interested in the focus of the group. But, where do you find these groups?
These groups are found on Social Networking Sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, or Tumblr. What’s exciting about Social Networking is that you could establish a relationship with someone on the other side of the world. What an awesome way to broaden your horizons.
However, there are risks involved with Social Networking too. Just as there are predators in the real world, there are predators on social media as well. These predators can lie and join these groups. Their goal is to establish a relationship with you, to build your trust so they can eventually finagle a meeting in real life. The bottom line is they have an agenda.
So what can a tween/teen do to protect herself? That is a very good question. I would recommend going to a site that is set up especially for tweens/teens. There are a couple of new Social Networking Sites that take into consideration the risks that interacting on the internet can expose young girls to. One of them is called TeenXpress, and here’s the link: http://teenxpress.com/
I’ve spoken with the creator of this site and her focus is developing a safe environment for tweens/teens, so they can interact socially. When you create an account, the system asks for your date of birth. If you’re over a certain age, you won’t be able to continue the process. After all, it’s just for tweens/teens.
I know what you’re thinking, sometimes people lie. That’s true, but there are also filters within the system that will flag the administrators if someone isn’t chatting in an appropriate manner. When the flags go up that person can be kicked out of the network. Most other networks do not have this kind of system in place. In other networks, a member has to report the bad behavior of the offender in order for any action to occur. In fact, other networks find thousands of predators in just this way and their memberships are revoked daily.
Another site that’s available is http://www.everloop.com/. On this site parents are required to supervise their children and it’s also set up to protect your child from cyber-bullying and inappropriate content.
Even on these sites, teens should use caution and trust their instincts. Don’t give out too much personal information and be careful whom you engage.
Also, don’t forget to get together with your friends from real life too! Even social networking can’t take the place of real interaction with your peers.
Thanks for stopping by and reading my post. Leave a comment; I’d love to read your thoughts. If you need a break from Social Media, check out the Emblazoner’s Books! They’re great tween reads! Here’s the link: http://emblazoners.com/our-books/
Thanks again for stopping by!
Seems like every kid I know lives on social media, including my own! I’ve had to place some severe restrictions on our gadgets. Thanks for reminding us of some of the dangers out there and for the great new site. First I’ve heard of it.
You’re welcome Michelle! Thanks for stopping by!
My son just turned 13 and is begging for his on FB account. We’ve explained the rules, but it’s still worrying to think about the predators just waiting for an innocent to fall into their traps. I’m definitely going to have him read your post.
Yes. It’s so unfortunate that there are so many dangers in the world we live in, but knowledge is power and the more aware we are of these things, the better able we will be at protecting our children. Thanks for stopping by Cordelia!
Sorry I’m late for the party! Very informative and timely post, Lisa! I think kids are so savvy about the internet and social media, but still need boundaries, and that’s where parents come in. Cheers for a great post!
Awww…thanks for stopping by Sharon! I appreciate your kind words and I agree with you kids need boundaries! 🙂