How to protect children from social networks

Social networks are spread, cross culturally nowadays and are part of the daily routine. And, although the most popular, Facebook, determines that the minimum age for users is 13 years old, many children forge that data to be part of it.

That and because it never hurts even for adults, let's review the 10 basic tips to improve child safety on social networks.

1. Follow the guidelines of age for use of the network

Do not let the young open a Facebook account until they are at least 13 years. Once accessed, parents should make sure they are not lying about their age, as Facebook says that have specific privacy protection layers according to that personal information.

2. Do not accept friendship requests from strangers

It is important that parents insist on this point and ensure that the young do not include as friends to people they do not know.

3. Become familiar with Facebook and its tools

It is highly recommended that parents know how works the social networks used by their children, know how they publish and where the safety tools, privacy and profile management are.

4. Analyze together security settings

Check the configuration with the children and change all the privacy to "friends" only, or individually select each of the options, so that strangers cannot see their data and publications.

5. Use the "Who can contact me?"

This section is a shortcut to the right of the name and lets you control who can request friendship and define the type of filter for incoming messages.

6. Use the "Who can see my stuff?" And "Privacy" section

In the first one, you can choose which type of users can see publications, manage content that has been tagged and see how other people view the personal biography. The section on "Privacy" option in the "Settings" allows detailing profile and biography access to many options.

7. Use the "applications and sites"

Allows you to control what information is shared with applications connected to Facebook (games like Candy Crush). It also controls the profile information that other websites can get.

8. Know and use the "blocked lists"

In this section of security settings you can block people by name so do not interact with or view their profile information.

9. Using similar criteria to the physical world

It is important to note the same care for social relationships that on the offline ones. This is not to talk to strangers, do not post confidential information (vacation dates, personal data, private photos, routines) with people who know little, use private conversations to private issues, inform parents and authorities if young people are harassed or assaulted .

10. Know how to report and denounce content or abusive behavior

The buttons to report abusive behaviors are found in almost all sections and pages of Facebook. If a user reports and denounces private content, offensive or rude, almost automatically a member of the security team of Facebook investigates and evaluates whether or not to delete the content of the site.

Source: http://Facebook.com/help