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In this parent and student-friendly episode, Josh Ochs talks to parents in The Covina-Valley Unified School District, teaching them how their kids can shine online. He shares some anti-bullying tips, good and bad apps, how to have a dialogue with your kids and more.
Help students learn online safety
How do we bridge a generation gap between kids and their parents? As a parent, have you struggled to communicate with your teenage kids? Kids, are you keeping secrets to your parents to avoid being called out? If yes is your answer to these questions, listen to this episode as Josh shares tips and advice that parents can use to help your kids shine online.
Online safety key takeaways for parents:
- The best social media safety resource is having a healthy dialogue with your kids; not a social media app or keeping them away from electronics
- Create a digital friendship with your child and follow their social media networks. Consider not commenting on your students’ post on social media. Give them the social space they need
- Let kids be the expert and have them teach you about social media. Put your kids’ interests first
My student isn’t on social media, do I really need to worry?
- Yes, kids are online and have a digital footprint even if they don’t have any social media accounts
- People with similar names to your student can populate their search results with negative content
- Colleges and employers will assume that the negative results are relevant to your student until proven otherwise
How can I monitor my kids online?
When parents consistently use Google to monitor their student’s digital footprint they can use what they find to start a dialog and prevent incidences from occurring.
- Use Google to search for your student online the same way colleges will
- Search your student’s first and last name
- Next, search for your student’s first and last name in quotes
- Then, search your student’s first name, last name, and the city
- Next, search your student’s first name, last name, and school
- Search your student’s email address
- Use Google to search for your student’s username on Instagram
- Lastly, search your student’s first, middle, and last name
3 keys to success online:
- Positivity
- Safety
- Anti-bullying
When should my kids be public online?
- 0-13 years olds should be private online
- At the age of 14 – 15, the discussion starts on what to go public
- By the age 15, they can start posting positive images on social media
- When they reach 17, colleges and universities can find positive footprints of your kids online
Resources for parents:
Host a Positive Social Media Safety Event At Your School/Organization
We train 30,000 students each year how to shine online using social media and we show them how their accounts can be used to create a portfolio of positive accomplishments that impress colleges and employers.
Join 70,000+ newsletter subscribers who read our expert social media safety tips each week
Principals & Districts: Protect your whole community with a Parent University membership
- This program gives parents videos to watch with their kids
- Students listen to an outside trusted expert and are more engaged
- Parents also get classes that bring them up to speed on the latest apps
Parents & Teachers: Join our Smart Social Podcast each week on iTunes as Josh Ochs interviews digital safety experts and teaches you how to shine online.
Subscribe on: iTunes – Google Play – Stitcher Radio – Web Player
