Learn More about Kids and Social Media

Parents, especially those with teenagers, have heard the horror stories about the dangers of social networking. Out there lurking in the shadows of the Internet are bullies and predators and thieves, waiting to take advantage of children.

Not so fast, said Judy Hauser, information media consultant for Oakland Schools, who with her colleague Lynn Lieberman will show parents how to make the Web a safer place for their kids, while at the same time feeling safe enough to take advantage of the many useful (and fun) tools available to every member of the family. She and Lieberman will be presenters at a social networking forum at , 25000 Middlebelt Rd., Farmington Hills on April 13.

“I think parents are worried about what their kids are doing on the Web and the dangerous parts, because that’s what they hear about in the media,” Hauser said. “But we want to give them a new, positive view of the Web.”

Without that, she said, “Parents are missing the fact that the web has so many free tools for communicating and sharing.”

Last spring, when the Farmington Parent Teacher Association (PTA) was planning this year’s parent forums, the first topic suggestion was social networking, said Chris Greig, president of the group.

Greig understands the concerns, as the mother of three boys, two of them still in school.

So the PTA contacted Oakland Schools to help put on the program for parents.

“It’s just to teach the parents about social media tools to help them get plugged in to what their kids are doing online,” Greig said. Though all district parents are welcome, the PTA wanted to focus on parents of upper elementary and middle school students.

“A lot of parents are uneasy about Facebook,” Greig said. “More and more parents are plugged in themselves, but don’t know what their kids are doing.”

Some of the pitfalls of giving kids access are sharing and privacy of information, who can see it, and what information is okay to make public, Greig said.

“There are techniques for getting to use these tools, but how do you stay in control, while still getting all the benefits of the tools?” she said. “Parents worry about Facebook bullying especially.”

Even Grieg heard rumors last year that some high school students had set up Facebook pages specifically to harass and bully classmates.

“That is a little scary,” she said. “Because it’s so instantaneous, you can start these threatening pages and hurt people.”

But social networking is also a wonderful tool, not just for students, but for their parents, Hauser said.

Hauser likes to use social media to stay in touch with old friends, and with relatives. She started a Facebook page to help members of a professional association stay in touch.

“If all you focus on are the bad things on the Internet and in social media, you’re missing out on being able to freely communicate with people,” she said.

But safety is a concern, especially for parents of trusting and inexperienced young people.

So along with an overview of web tools for collaborating and sharing, the forum will also give parents some tips to keep interactions safer and more secure, Hauser said.

The forum will begin at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 13 at East Middle School. It is being co-hosted by . Admission is free and light refreshments will be served. For more information, call School/Community Relations at 248-489-3349