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Social Media Monitoring Tips

Tips to assist in monitoring students’ use of social media:

  • Check the privacy settings.  Social media sites allow users to customize their privacy settings.  For kids, settings should mostly be set to as restrictive as possible
  • Keep in mind that Facebook (and many other sites) don’t allow individuals under the age of 13 to have an account
  • Create clear rules.  Make sure the students understand the rules regarding their computer/social media usage
  • One idea is to create a contract that all parties sign that outlines what is expected and what the consequences will be
  • A good rule to have is that a student must ask you before downloading an app or creating a profile on any sight.  A possible solution is the student could use an email you created so that you are made aware of every download
  • You could also only allow them to use your “app store” account so you must grant permission before an app is downloaded
  • Parents should have full access to their students’ social media profiles
  • Keep the computer/phone/tablet in a central location
  • Students are less likely to visit sites or post on social media when the computer is in plain sight.  This doesn’t mean that you must be looking over their shoulder, but rather could walk by and see what is happening
  • You could also enact a "device free time" while at home.
  • Know exactly what your son or daughter is posting online
  • Student’s should not be posting pictures with identifiable locales
  • Be open about online dangers
  • Having open and sincere discussions is a great way to ensure your child feels safe in approaching you about online questions
  • Discuss the differences between cyberbullying and online drama