Facebook etc

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modernista
Posts: 302
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 12:03 pm

Facebook etc

Post by modernista »

I am a social media ignoramus (except for this forum, if it counts) but DD obviously is not. DH is very worried she is into something unsuitable and just too young to know better. She spends a fair amount of time on this after school. She is otherwise happy and has a wide variety of interests. I dont know where to begin.
Daogroupie
Posts: 11099
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: Facebook etc

Post by Daogroupie »

I am not a fan of Facebook. My dd's do not have Facebook and recently our school had an parent's meeting about some of the dangers and warned us about the other site which has been all over the news recently because of the number of teen suicides.

Your dd has been with her friends all day, is it not time for homework and being with the family when she gets home? Why climb on Facebook and behave like you are not actually in the house with your family? DG
KS10
Posts: 2516
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:39 am

Re: Facebook etc

Post by KS10 »

DS, as far as I'm aware, does not have a FB account - if he has, it's not in his own name - but a few months ago I discovered purely by chance that he was on that dreadful ask.fm site. His wasn't horrendous, but he was still embarrassed that I had managed to access something that he thought was private. He disabled his account immediately (and this was before it made the news). What shocked me above anything else was how a supposedly bright teenager could give away so much information about himself despite all the talks they've had at school and at home. I too would be concerned. How old is your daughter and how long does she spend on FB? You will get both points of view on here, but I just hate these sites with a passion because of some of the narcissistic tendencies (and the rest) it can bring out in some people.
modernista
Posts: 302
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 12:03 pm

Re: Facebook etc

Post by modernista »

I agree KS10 about the narcissism. I am at work when DD comes home. She has told me she is not on Facebook but is on Instagram. She loves taking photos and so I let her go on Instagram. I then realised it has messages as well. I am not on it so I feel handicapped. Looking for advice.

How did you find out about ask.fm

DD is in year 8 and spends at least and hour on average on internet.
2childmum
Posts: 523
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2008 4:02 pm
Location: S E London

Re: Facebook etc

Post by 2childmum »

Hi. I too am wary of all the social media sites and nobody in my family uses them. My son, who is 15, occasionally asks but accepts us saying no. I was thinking that really I need to look into it all more as once he leaves home it will be up to him and I need to educate him about it all. I found this site - connect safely.org - yesterday. I haven't read it all but it seems to offer info that looks useful.
KS10
Posts: 2516
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:39 am

Re: Facebook etc

Post by KS10 »

:oops: I was dreading that question! I was googling his name to see if he had FB yet. His name appeared under an old primary school friend's name, which I thought was strange. I say 'friend', but she had to sit next to DS in class and complained on more than one occasion to the teacher about the fact that he talked non-stop and she couldn't concentrate. Anyway, my curiosity got the better of me and I just kept clicking each time I saw his name. It took about 3 clicks to get to his page.
KS10
Posts: 2516
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:39 am

Re: Facebook etc

Post by KS10 »

We've had the conversation about employers being able to access this information too.
modernista
Posts: 302
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 12:03 pm

Re: Facebook etc

Post by modernista »

Thanks!, I found a link on this site for Instagram!
Blitz
Posts: 874
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 3:58 pm

Re: Facebook etc

Post by Blitz »

My DC were shown a video in pshe about the dangers of face book and other social networking sites. It was created by CEOP. If you google 'jigsaw assembly' you should be able to watch the 8 minute video on yout.be. There is also a video for 11-16 year olds which is hard hitting, but sometimes children need the shock to make them realise the dangers.
Last edited by Blitz on Wed Sep 11, 2013 1:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Marylou
Posts: 2164
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:21 am

Re: Facebook etc

Post by Marylou »

I don't think it's a good idea to ban something as popular and ubiquitous as social media. I know of at least three young people who have operated Facebook accounts apparently without their parents' knowledge. How do I know? I've come across them on my own children's pages, with recognizable photographs but under an assumed name. When I ask DD why, the explanation is always the same - "parents won't let her have Facebook..."!

Perhaps we should be regarding social media as a "necessary evil", a bit like crossing the road. None of us wants our children to be placed in a risky situation, but since they are inevitably going to come into contact with busy roads/social media, isn't it better to learn about it ourselves so that we can teach them about the dangers?

The main problem is that the popular sites are changing all the time - things come and go, and sites such as ask.fm and Instagram appear and are suddenly very popular. Keeping abreast of the situation and all the latest risks is very difficult, and it helps to have an older teenager with their ear to the ground, as it were, ready to help look out for the younger ones.

I agree with Blitz - the CEOP material is very good and should be required viewing for all youngsters, regardless of whether or not they are involved in social media.
Marylou
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