Don’t believe everything you read online Be suspicious of someone who wants to know too much about you, is overly complimentary, or seems to try too hard to help you. They could be a predator trying to win your trust. Teach this skepticism to your kids, too.
Watch what you write Never blog about yourself drinking alcohol, taking drugs, or engaging in other behavior that might raise eyebrows. Think carefully before posting extreme social or political views. Such posts might be viewed by an admissions department of a college, or by someone interviewing you for a job. “Unless you’re prepared to attach the information on your MySpace page to you’re applications for college, job, internship, scholarship or sports team, don’t post it,” says Parry Aftab, a lawyer specializing in Internet security and executive director of #IF($EnableExternalLinks)WiredSafety.o#COMMENT#ENDCOMMENTrg#ELSEWired Safety#ENDIF.
Protect access to your information If you feel you must use social networking sites, use those that allow you to protect your information with passwords. This is the best way to limit access to people who you have designated as “friends.”
Stand up to cyberbullies If you get into a situation where someone is posting defamatory information about you, there are actions you can take. Teens should tell their parents. Parents can contact the social networking site with a complaint. And there is always the option of taking legal action if these activities get out of hand.
Monitor your kids' activities Ask to see your child’s profile page, but give them a moment to remove anything they know shouldn’t be there, advises Aftab. “It becomes a way to teach a child what should not be posted,” she says. “You’re not trying to create a ‘gotcha’ moment.” Think of it this way: if 700 million people online can already view the page online, it’s not invading their privacy if you ask to see it too.