Start a Conversation
Once you have a general awareness of how social networking sites work, initiate a dialogue about the rules and potential risks involved. Teens want others to respect their privacy. But it’s equally important for you to understand what they are doing online. Start with these types of questions:
- Can we talk about what you like to do online?
- Have you been to the 2 SMRT 4U™ website?
- Do you have a profile on a social networking site like MySpace or Facebook?
- What kinds of things do you like to do on these sites?
- Do you use privacy settings? Why or why not?
- How do you decide who to add as a friend?
- Do you blog? Do you think sharing personal information can be dangerous?
- Do you upload photos or videos?
- Do you use your real name and age in your profile and when communicating?
- Do you think these sites can pose a danger?
- Do you think people on these sites can lie about themselves and their intentions?
- Have you thought about the consequences of what you post?
- Would you mind if I checked your profile once in a while?
