Social Media: Safety

Australian middle school girls are some of the heaviest users of social media in this country. They use it extensively to communicate with friends both in and out of school and, not surprisingly, most say they could not live without it. Despite these claims, girls aged 12 to 14 experience higher levels of online trouble such as cyberbullying and sexting than same age boys. These troubles make them more prone to emotional distress such as depression and anxiety. To date, intervention initiatives have not been overly effective in reducing these problems. This paper reports on the online practices employed by middle school girls to negotiate social media. The data is drawn from an ongoing study involving 75 middle school girls from two high schools in Queensland. Preliminary findings drawn from survey and focus group contributions show that middle school girls can easily describe online safety protocols but their interpretation and translation of protocols into effective social media practices often differs from recommended guidelines when communicating with friends. Strategies for cultivating social media safety awareness in middle school girls are offered.

This article presents part of the results of a study devoted to the assessment of Spanish pre-adolescents’ digital competences between the ages of 11 and 13. It is based on the implementation of a validated digital competences test designed to cover the five digital competence areas included in the European Digital Competence Framework called DIGCOMP, a common framework of reference on digital competence in Europe: information, communication, content creation, safety and problem solving. This study is focused on the competence area of safety, specifically on its analysis in relation to Spanish pre-adolescents and whether their results regarding this competence area are influenced by how frequently they use social media. Likewise, a conceptual approach to digital competence, its assessment, digital safety and use of social media in adolescence is also provided. The methodology describes how the test, which focuses on the area of safety, was administered to 595 pre-adolescents. The results show an average competence level in such area, which is insufficient considering current data on social media usage frequency. Besides, pre-adolescents who use social media moderately or do not use them at all display better digital competences in the area of safety in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes.

You never know who's on the other end of communications online. That exciting email offering to help you get rich quick can be a scam to trick you out of your money. That friendly kid you met in a game chatroom might be an adult looking to trick you and take advantage. Even websites that look legitimate and official can be fake and meant to steal your personal information or invade your privacy. Before logging on, it's vital to know what risks and pitfalls await you online.

The teenage years have always been tough—but digital technology has raised the dangers of the social battlefield to a whole new level. This ABC News program reports on how cell phones, digital cameras, and personal Web sites encourage and amplify the frequent cruelty of teen behavior. With the help of an experiment conducted by Brigham Young University child development researchers, the program analyzes the behavior of a group of teenage girls as they use online verbal innuendos and emotional attacks to vie for attention and create a social hierarchy. The program also looks at the difficulties parents face in monitoring what kids do on the Internet. (40 minutes)

Social networking sites are open to anyone however offer a low level of security and protection. Because students often post detailed and specific information, they can be more easily stalked by strangers or even acquaintances. The purpose of most of these networks is to allow individuals and groups to keep in touch and track the daily lives of each other. By keeping things at the status quo on the social networking sites, the result is a micro society of friends that is more open than ever before. However students dont often consider the dangers that social networking introduces to their lives. The content they place on the networks can easily make them vulnerable to all sorts of threats. Some of these threats are minor, but some can be incredibly severe.

This program investigates how easy it is for online predators to target children and teens. Canadian children spend an average of seven hours a day online. The program looks at how much children and teens are sharing through social media, and follows Detective Randy Norton as he works to catch online predators. Norton also provides pointers for parents to monitor their children's activities to prevent them from being at risk.

Limit the amount of personal information you post - Do not post information that would make you vulnerable, such as your address or information about your schedule or routine. If your connections post information about you, make sure the combined information is not more than you would be comfortable with strangers knowing. Also be considerate when posting information, including photos, about your connections.