LETTER to the editor: Parents, take extra care with kids and social media

To the editor:

I try to shy away from sensational news, but being a father of two girls has changed a lot of things for me.

Please strongly consider whether your child needs a smartphone, tablet or other device. If you choose so, take the time to learn about controls to be put in place. For example, what apps can they install, what are they using it for, what should they not be doing, are there hours of use, and rules of etiquette around other people, including photos/videos of others.

There is a scenario recently where a 10-year-old girl in Minnesota was Snapchatting with a 15-year-old boy, with her GPS on so that boy knew where that girl was. I will not share any more details of that story but it alarmed me for a number of reasons.

The Federal Trade Commission’s summary of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act’s rule reads: “COPPA imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age.”

You may be ruining their fun (how cool is TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram or whatever apps I don’t know about), but there is too much that they do not understand.

I am all for anonymity and this letter isn’t to discuss that, but consider one of the biggest draws to Snapchat is that it doesn’t retain previous conversations. You may have good intentions and find that app fun, but others may use it in ways that are much worse. Please carefully consider the risks and rewards, even after they are of legal age.

I am repeatedly impressed with their maturity and responsibility once kids are given freedom, but this area is such a slippery slope. Remember, adults are having a hard time using those applications responsibly. You may know and trust your kid, how well do you know and trust their friends?

Here is a shortened link to a good video for folks who want to learn more: https://bit.ly/2Ut4iF4

Russell Kurhajetz, Esko