Middle School Social Media Morning Handout

Social Media 101: Online Etiquette, Safety, and Privacy January 30, 2013 Facebook • • •

The most popular social networking site – 1 billion users worldwide as of October 2012 – Legally, users must be 13; Facebook requires birthdate for verification Accessible via computer and mobile apps Users can share photos, videos, status updates, links, “check ins”

Instagram • • •

Photo-sharing and social networking app for iOS and Android phones 90 million users upload 40 million photos daily In December 2012, Instagram announced that they could sell users’ photos to third parties without notification or compensation; uproar after announcement lead to rework of language in Terms of Service – still TBA

Twitter • • • •

140-character social networking & microblogging platform Accessible on a computer or mobile device 500 million users as of October 2012 Increasingly popular among high school students – However, no age verification required so anyone can sign up

Tumblr • • • •

•

A popular micro-blogging platform among tweens & teens – Rapidly increasing in popularity among kids ages 13-18 Accessible by computer and mobile apps Over 86 million blogs with 39 billion posts as of October 2012 Creates a sense of identity through reblogging photos, links, GIFs, quotes – Think an online diary meets a collage or bulletin board where users can “like” or “reblog” entries Different tumblrs play host to fan communities for music (Justin Beiber, One Direction) and television shows (Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars) but also for eating disorders and self-harm

Snapchat • • •

Photo-and video- sharing app for iOS and Android where users can send photos and short videos that will “self-destruct” in an amount of time that they control (<10 seconds) 50 million snaps sent each day Widely used for silly self-portraits (selfies) but the “self-destructing” function makes sexting, cheating, and cyberbulling easier and virtually undetectable by parents or teachers

Kik •

• • •

A free mobile messaging service that allows users to text back and forth through a user name, rather than a phone number – similar to iMessage on iPhone 30 million users currently Due to age restricted content, users should be 17 or older Users often will post their usernames in Instagram, Tumblr, or Twitter profiles (ie: “Kik me: [username]”), enabling total strangers to message them

Keeping Your Kids Informed and Safe •

• •

•

• •

Set rules and guidelines about social media early – Would you put it on the announcements at school? Would you say it in front of your parents or another adult? If not, don’t put it on social media!

Keep lines of communication open; talk to your kids about the apps they use – Why do you like this app? What is the appeal?

Make sure your child knows the difference between friends and “friends” – Have you had a conversation with them in person, or do you just know them through a friend of a friend?

Utilize the safety controls on each app and approve your child’s privacy settings – Check these constantly, as sites like Facebook often makes changes with little to no notification to their users – Restrict app usage based on content ratings (4+, 9+, 12+, 17+ on iTunes) Limit the time your child spends on social media sites Get active on social media yourself – Visit sites like bewebsmart.com to stay up-to-date about new apps, as well as changes to existing apps