As a mom to two teenagers, a girl and a boy, we are constantly bombarded everyday with digital influences. Good and bad influences. Friends who share good and friends who share bad. You probably have those friends too. You know, the one who when you see their name you scroll faster because you know they are only complaining about something, or sharing a horrible video about something. Then you have those friends that you purposely type their name into the search box so you can see what awesome things they have to share that day.
What friend do you want to hang out with? What friend do you want your kids to associate with? And which kind of friend do YOU want to be?
My kids are growing up in a world where there is no privacy anymore. Everything is shared. Stupid, pointless things are shared. I didn’t have to deal with this growing up. We had to actually hand write notes and fold them all fancy in order to get a message to a friend. Which meant that I only shared the important things. I didn’t want my hand to cramp up! Ha Ha~
As a blogger, I tend to share more with the world than a normally would. I have followers that like to hear what I’m going through as a mom. That’s my job. I’m here to share mommy moments, recipes, advice, and helpful tips. BUT, I still try to make sure I’m sharing mostly positive, uplifting things.
When talking to my kids about online safety, I also talk to them about what kinds of things are appropriate to share online. I have them ask themselves these 4 questions before posting something online:
1. “Is what I’m sharing gossip?”
2. “Is what I’m sharing going to hurt someone or myself?”
3. “Is what I’m sharing really so important that the whole world needs to know it?”
4. “If my mother were to read this would she be sad?”
If they answered yes to any of these questions, STOP. I also tell them that the same rules apply when commenting on another persons post.
My kids are awesome. I love them so much. They do amazing things. They are good friends to those around them. I try to teach them to be good examples of Christ, and I remind them that social media influences those around them just as much as it would in person. We should be making sure that our actions online are in line with our standards in real life. If we wouldn’t say something directly to a person, we don’t write it online. We don’t need to share all the “horrible” things we are going through. Sometimes it’s nice to feel like we are not the only one going through hard moments, but we can try to put a positive spin on things and look at the bright side.
I try to encourage my family to #shareawesome online. Find an awesome moment in their day and share it to uplift people. And I’m not alone! National PTA has partnered with LifeLock to share awesome ways families can create an open, evolving conversation about positive, safe decisions when using digital tools. It’s all part of having a happy, healthy lifestyle. For you, your family, your friends, and the whole world – everyone benefits when you #ShareAwesome! The #ShareAwesome campaign seeks to build an understanding among parents and students that no matter the device, the app or the networking site – the skills we need to be safe and positive online are similar to what you need offline. #ShareAwesome celebrates students and families who use digital media and tools for good – good for themselves, their family, their friends and the whole world
“Snap a photo of an awesome moment in your day and share it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the #ShareAwesome hashtag! Students who enter the #ShareAwesome contest between September 15 – November 30, 2014 will have a chance to win fantastic prizes, including tablets and a $2,500 scholarship!”
Learn more about #ShareAwesom here: http://clvr.li/shareawesome
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
These tips are so important Annette! As a highschool teacher, these are actually the things that we are even teaching them in school as well. Quite often, kids just don’t think of the long term ramifications of what they post.
Wonderful tips! Something even we as adults should practice.