By Meg Hodson
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Mom It Forward for AVG Technologies. All opinions remain 100% my own.
My daughter is 10 and loves Instagram. As you may know, it's probably the most popular social site for the tween set. As someone who is deeply engaged in social media, this makes me happy. I love social media. But I'm also an involved parent. I routinely monitor her account. I check what she is posting and even what her friends are posting to keep things in check.
I am glad I have been this involved because I stopped a habit that was cropping up on Instagram. I noticed a trend recently among her friends to run what are essentially popularity contests. She didn't see it that way at first. I explained to her that doing collages of friends pictures and asking people to vote for their favorite might make the friend who got the least number of votes feel bad. When I explained it to her this way, she realized that what seemed harmless at first could really hurt someone's feelings. I urged her to set the example for her friends and not post such photos. I even encouraged her to "vote for everyone" if another friend still did such posts.
But online security for children goes way beyond this. While there is an easy privacy setting for a site like Instagram, what about when your children start using numerous social sites? Or when they start using the internet more regularly? Or when they get a smart phone? Terms like "locations services", "privacy settings", and "public" should become topics you address almost daily with your children's online habits.
I will be the first to admit this is tough! It's time consuming, yet necessary. That's why I am glad there are companies like AVG Technologies that make this task easier. They are leading the charge to make both the discussion with your children and maintaining their online safety easier.
First, AVG Technologies has partnered with Childnet International to publish an interactive e-book series, Magda and Mo,, to help parents and children navigate tricky internet safety topics such as cyberbullying and safe searching. Sounds good to me!
I also just downloaded the app AVG PrivacyFix which helps control and lock-in your privacy on your PC, mobile device and tablet. With a personal, easy-to-use dashboard, I am able to monitor and adjust privacy settings online and prevent third parties from tracking mine (or my kids') activities and location. Right now, the app supports Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, and You Tube, You also get tips on ways to block ad tracking based on your phone habits. Best of all, it's free.
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