IS YOUR CHILD USING SOCIAL MEDIA?
Parents believe that their children are not using social media yet because there are age limits applicable to each site, but you can guarantee that, if you have a child online, you can be sure that you have a child on social media. Yes, there are age restrictions, but have you had anyone knock on your door to see if your child is accessing a site that he/she is not old enough to have an account? I assume not.
Any online user can set up an account and be anyone they want to be or any age they choose. There is nothing to prevent this, unless, of course, it's a guilty conscious...and there's no way to prevent a predator from doing the same. Your child may think she is talking to a 13 year-old boy, when, in fact, it could be a 55 year-old sex offender.
It is up to parents to be involved in their children's online activity. Set parental controls, keep computer use out of their bedroom, and randomly check their activity. Don't be naive, be actively involved. Most teens do not see any repercussions for their online actions. They are misconceived that it just goes away, but the Internet activity NEVER goes away. Children do not have the experience not the capacity to understand how permanent online posts/ texting/ sexting really is. As a parent, this responsibility lies with you. Show you truly care, be involved. If you don't do it, no one will!