FaceBook Safety for You and your Kids

Here are some safety measure to follow when using Social Networking Sites especially the most popular of all FaceBook.

• Avoid being too specific with the information you post or share online (do not give details of your whereabouts, do not post your birthday or contact numbers, etc).

• Avoid posting solo pictures of you child. If possible, post only group photos.

• Avoid directly tagging your child's face online. Randomly tag something else to shroud your child's face from stranger's online. People who know you child will already recognize him.

• Need to discuss something sensitive? Avoid posting a message on someone;s wall. Use private messaging instead.

• Set your privacy settings so that only those close to you or the people you know can view your profile pictures, activity stream, and wall posting.

• Avoid being too 'real time' when it comes to posting items on your profile. Try to delay them for at least an hour to avoid being pinpointed.
  

Dangers that your Kids confront on the Internet

Parents must serve as the first line of defense to protect kids, but they are often uninformed or ill-equipped to deal with these and other evolving threats. It is therefore wise for you to brush up on these threats and learn what dangers for children lurk on the internet and how to protect your young ones from there. Here are some of the hidden dangers in the internet that confront Internet users and your kids today:

VIRUS. Kids can get embedded in their computer, be it a conduit for a Trojan Horse, a staging area for a worm, or they may end up downloading unnecessary cookies and files.

IMPROPER CONTENT. There are numerous sites where a child can learn harmful thing like how to make bombs, site that encourage drug use, forums that discuss the best ways to commit suicide, and areas that foster hate crimes.

PREDATORS. Kids may be subject to various online predators. A child may be exposed to phishing attacks where unscrupulous persons can try to steal their or their parents personal information and identity. Sexual predators, adults pretending to be teenagers, abound in cyberworld. They entice children to reveal personal information and eventually lure them to private encounters that can result in traumatic experiences for kids and teens. Kids who end up in chatrooms may be lured to sex chats leading to a sex "eyeball", prostitution, or even 'sex for benefits' arrangements.

CYBER-BULLYING. The relative anonymity the Internet offers sometimes makes kids feel uninhibited and makes them prone to harmful and nasty acts. Kids may be sent unsolicited hate mail, or fall prey to posers who pretend to them on the Internet. Cases where other people open accounts in social networking sites under other people's names and then post false, misleading, rude, or derogatory information are becoming common.

PORNOGRAPHY. The online adult business is a thriving worldwide multibillion dollar industry. It has become easy for kids to get exposed to pornographic materials.

IDENTITY THEFT. Since it become common occurrence for teens to post their private information on the Internet, be it their school, their favorite hangout, and birthday, it has become easy for others to steal someone's identity on the Net as well.

Websites for your Toddler and Kids

I read in a magazine an article about sites that is great for your toddlers and your kids. I check the site out and it was great, especially the site Starfall. So here are two site that you may want your child to visit.

1. Starfall.com - Both toddlers and big kids will enjoy this site. It has great phonics program, is very attractive and interactive. Beginners will enjoy the alphabet section where toddlers and preschoolers can learn about each letter of the alphabet, how it sounds, and what words start with each letter. Older kids will love the online books and plays, including fables from all around the world.

2. Whyville.net - In the age of social networking, this site provides a secure and educational platform for such an activity. This online virtual world immerses children in a video game like experience where they mist manage money, make sure they eat properly, and have the ability to communicate with others. More importantly, the sire seeks to educate its users about online safety and how to behave in an online community.