Social Network Sites

Legally Speaking- Facebook

Legally speaking, children younger than 13 shouldn’t be on Facebook or Twitter. Many children bypass this law, even on sites that enforce it, by simply adjusting their birthday.

“Facebook was never intended for kids younger than 13,” she says. “Kids click on things. Which can be a problem, not just with friending people, but also the malware they pick up online.”

What you can do

1. Social Networking Sites have Terms of Service agreements when you first join them. It would be good to read them before you sign up so you know what you are letting yourself in for.

2. Get control of your Facebook Privacy Settings- go to Account and then privacy settings

3. Learn how to report abusive or inappropriate material. Most social sites have ways of blocking or reporting bad behaviour.

http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/reportfbabuse/index.html

How Facebook looks in real life.

Your digital footprint

It’s great to share things online with your friends. Part of the fun of sharing videos, images and other content, is that lots of people can view and respond. Remember that what you share with your friends may also be viewed by others who you don’t know. They may also be able to look at it for years to come. Everything you post adds up to make your digital footprint and, once it’s online, it could be there forever. So think before you post.

Tips

• Keep your personal details private. Use an appropriate nickname instead of your real name. Ask your parents before giving anyone on the internet your name, address, phone number or any other personal details.
• Don’t share your username or password with anyone.
• Think before you hit send or post. Once posted, it can be difficult to remove content.
• Don't post anything you don't want others to know or find out about—or that you wouldn’t say to them face to face.
• Remember that private images and videos you send to friends or post on a social networking site may be passed on to others and uploaded to public sites.
• Be respectful of other people’s content that you post or share. For example, a photo that your friend took is their property, not yours. You should post it online only if you have their permission and make a note about where you got it from.