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5 Things You Should Do Before Your Kids Join Social Media Sites

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Father and daughters using computer

Set the Privacy Settings Together


Without proper privacy settings in place, millions of people have access to any photos and information your child posts. For example, if your child has an unrestricted Twitter or Facebook account, friends of friends (of friends... of friends... you get the idea) can see all photos, status updates, tweets, Instagram photos, and more, that she posts. Additionally, some sites (like Facebook) allow a user's location to be posted. Since many Facebook users have hundreds (even thousands) of friends, the number of people who can find information on your child's account can be staggering.

Set your child's privacy settings so that only trusted friends and family can see any activity. Don't allow your child's location to be posted, and warn her about the safety implications that posting (or "checking in") where she is might pose.

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