Question of the Day from a Dad in Vermont:
Dear Bulldog, I am concerned about all this social media. What are some tips you have about teaching my son about all this technology. Thank you! From an old school dad
Dear Old School Dad,
This is so normal. We all feel like this at some point with the different social media platforms. Our kids want their privacy from us. So they hide and withhold information from us all the time. Here are some tips to share with your son.
- Do not copy and paste cyberbullying messages, mean news feeds, or inappropriate pictures.
- Block all communication with cyberbullies and log off of social media sites.
- Do not stare at the drama or read all the comments being posted about you. Nothing good will come of it! Shut down your phone or tablet and walk away.
- Ignore the drama online; do not feed into it! Walk away from your computer, put your tablet or phone down, and do something else.
- The more you feed into drama the more it impacts your life. Do not let a stranger online take that from you. Own your virtual world and protect yourself.
- Sometimes people get bored and want to start drama online. Do not get sucked into it.
- Remember, if you cannot say it to someone’s face you should not put it on social media.
- Do not like or share posts that will start or instigate the drama. If you “like” something that is mean or inappropriate, you may be responsible for the effects it causes.
- Be aware that nothing is private online and regardless of your privacy settings people can see your posts, pictures, and messages. People can copy your pictures and posts to use them against you.
We hope these are some good talking points for you and your son. Have a great afternoon!
Bulldog Team