Every digital age parent’s dilemma: How do I protect my kids when social media and an online presence is fast becoming ‘the norm’?
The facts are becoming more alarming every year. By the time they are 2 years old, 90% of all American children have a digital footprint – often starting with postings of sonograms, followed by pictures right after birth and continuing on through their “first of everything.” Consumer Reports last year cited the statistic that 7.5 million children under 13 have active Facebook accounts, despite the minimum age policy of 13 to sign up for the service.
So how do parents in today’s world, and especially in the Silicon Valley, navigate decisions about screen time, access to social media and so forth? An excellent resource is Common Sense Media, started by James Steyer, who also teaches at Stanford. He’s published a new book called Talking Back to Facebook: A Common Sense Guide to Raising Kids in the Digital Age that offers practical, detailed guidelines and raises issues such as protection under Federal Law and the absence of what is commonly termed an “erase” button in the United States – Europe is already engaged in a debate about a ‘right to be forgotten’ option online.
The Common Sense Media website is brimming with information and links to other ways parents can stay on top of the juggernaut that started when we also started to live part of our lives on line! We recommend that you check it out.
What are the ways that you protect your child from overexposure?
