Bob is a 5th-grade student who is allowed to have a Facebook account that he uses to communicate with his school friends and some online gaming friends too. Bob decides to add some information in the about section. He adds interests, nicknames, and information in the about you section. And he also adds their phone number, where he lives and goes to school, and also add his parents under family and relationships.
One time, Bob made a new online friend while gaming and added them on Facebook without telling his parents. The new friend would constantly message Bob and say they had many things in common. After some time, the new friend would ask more personal questions, and eventually, they asked bob to meet with them.
There are many reasons why kids should not be on social media; Facebook requires everyone to be at least 13 years old before creating an account (Facebook). In this scenario, Bob is too young to have a social media account, and his parents are not monitoring his account well. Bob added too much information that is public to others. He also added a new online gaming friend without his parents' consent and shared too much information with them. This can be a dangerous situation that can be really bad if the parents are unaware of it. The new friend could be someone targeting young children who make connections with the children based on their interests and other shared information.
Responsibilities:
The student needs to practice using social media safely, using the knowledge they learned from their parents and in school. The student must also communicate with his parents about the situation, or it can have a bad outcome.
If kids (even older than 13) can use social media, their parents should monitor their accounts well. Parents are responsible for closely monitoring what the kids are exposed to at home. Parents should also teach their kids how to use social media safely.
Administrations are responsible for being informed about ongoing trends and discussing them with teachers. Also, they are responsible for giving their teachers appropriate training for them to teach their students how to be responsible global digital citizens. And there must be a whole district discussion about teaching families and kids what they should or should not share online.
Teachers should also be aware of online trends, and they need to discuss what information should be shared online. They must show examples of what is appropriate to share as a kid and explain the consequences of oversharing.
References:
Facebook. How do I report a child under the age of 13 on Facebook?: Facebook help center. How do I report a child under the age of 13 on Facebook? | Facebook Help Center. (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.facebook.com/help/157793540954833/
Hi Ale,
ReplyDeleteYou provided a very real scenario that happens often. Children these days get social media accounts at young ages. As you mentioned parents need to teach their children about social media safety. Just how they teach them about the dangers of strangers in person, the same goes for social media. I also agree that administrators and teachers need to be aware of social media trends so that they can help guide their students.
Thank you for sharing!
Hey Ale
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy that young teenagers have social media. I understand that they want to be able to talk with their friends and share videos but also need to learn how to do so safely. I think for children 16 years and younger should have all of their messages or friends request be sent to a parents email or sent as a text message so the parents can monitor their child and can stop and talk to their child when things are not safe anymore. I think teachers need to stay up to date on new trends and talk to their students frequently about safety of the internet. Thank you for sharing