Social Networking Advice Sheet

Advice to Teachers

Sites like Bebo and MySpace are not available through the Schools Broadband network. Sites of this nature are categorised as “Personals and Dating” sites and are not accessible through any of the current content filtering options. As with any filtering solution, where the nature of site content changes over time, or where new sites are constantly being introduced, there may from time to time need to be adjustments made to the content filter software. If you are aware of any sites that need to be re-categorised, contact the NCTE Service Desk at 1800 334466.

Advice to Parents As with all other internet safety issues the single biggest positive impact on children’s online behaviour is caused by an active engagement by parents in their online life. Remember the chances of your child sharing their online experiences with you will be greatly reduced if they think that telling you about a problem will result in them being banned from using the Internet. The more you know, the more you can support. Get your children to talk about what they use the technology for – whether it is a mobile phone, a PC or a video games console. Your children will enjoy the fact that they can teach you something and it is an opportunity to share activities with them.

“ Encourage your child to be careful when disclosing personal information.”

Encourage your child to be careful when disclosing personal information. Being conscious of when and where it is all right to reveal personal information is vital, it is especially important when using social networking sites. A simple rule could be that your child should not give out any information or pictures that they wouldn’t be prepared to print on a t-shirt and wear into town.

Encourage respect for others. As in everyday life, there are informal ethical rules for how to behave when relating to other people on the Internet. These include being polite, using correct language and not harassing others. Make your children aware that despite the perceptions to the contrary, online bullying is easier to detect and trace than offline bullying. Online bullying can have more severe consequences for the victim because it is so difficult to escape from. Also because of the code of practice adopted by Internet Service Providers and mobile phone operators, companies are obliged to involve the Gardaí when illegal activity is reported to them.

Know your child’s net use. To be able to guide your child with regard to Internet use, it is important to understand how children use the Internet and know what they like to do on-line. Let your child show you which websites they like visiting and what they do there. Acquiring technical knowledge could also make it easier to make the right decisions regarding your child’s Internet use.

Advice to Young People on Using Social Neworking Websites

Do know who can access your personal information – many sites allow you to decide which parts of your profile can be accessed by others. Assume that everything is public unless you are sure that it isn’t. Opting for private doesn’t always mean that only your friends can see your profile. In some cases it means that everything you put on your profile can be seen by everyone but only your friends can post comments or IM you.

Do trust your instincts - If it doesn’t look or “feel right”, it probably isn’t. If you find something online that you don't like or makes you feel uncomfortable, turn off the computer and tell an adult.

Do be careful with your personal information - The problem with posting personal information to the internet is that as soon as it goes online, you have lost control over who will see it and how it will be used. Pictures can easily be copied and shared with 100,000 of others at the press of a button. Because of the digital nature of the photos, they can even be altered or distorted. Don’t post any pictures that you wouldn’t want everyone you know to see, that includes your parents and your teachers.

Don’t assume everyone you meet online is who they appear to be - The fact that certain websites claim to connect students from the same school means nothing. The information provided by users when they are registering is not checked. Anyone can create a user profile pretending to be anyone else. Moreover, anyone regardless of their real or pretend age can join as many school communities as they want.

Don’’t post information that could be used to find you offline – without meaning to, you can give away information that could help someone to find you. Be careful of posting photos with things like car registration plates or identifiable landmarks in them. Avoid posting messages to blogs along the lines of “I usually walk home down the lane by the railway tracks”. There are some people out there who will piece together little snippets of information about you over a long period of time.

Don’t reply to messages that harass you or make you feel unconfortable! - Even though you may really want to, this is exactly what cyberbullies want. They want to know that they've got you worried and upset. They are trying to mess with your head. They want to think that they are important by being able to get a reaction from  you. Don't give them the pleasure.

Related Articles on Webwise:

Social Networking Websites - Bebo, Myspace, Friendster etc.

What are the Risks of using social networking websites?

What is Cyberbullying?

Related weblinks:

Myspace safety tips and tips for parents.

"Identity Production in a Networked Culture: Why Youth Heart MySpace", danah boyd, American Association for the Advancement of Science, February 19, 2006.