Sharing is Caring

From an early age children are taught to share and this is a good thing. How great is it to see a small child playing nicely and sharing toys and books?

In the digital world of social media we also share. But what we share is content: photos, posts, memes, news stories (some real, some fake), our personal info, and more.

Should we always share this stuff?

Who does it affect and do we even think about that before we share?

Most importantly, are we teaching our children that as they get older and go online they need to be careful about what they share?

It’s a good idea to keep having conversations about ‘Sharing’ as they grow. Here are some tips to help…

1. Ask them to tell you straight away if anyone ever asks them to share any personal info online. This includes their name, address, age, school, anything at all.
2. If they play online games, ask them to stick to playing with friends and people they know. If anyone else joins a game that they are playing they need to let you know. In games with voice chat parents should turn the device volume down or mute other players if possible.
3. Reassure them that by NOT sharing personal info they are being good and helping themselves and others.

Finally, ask them to ask themselves ‘ Will I hurt anyone’s feelings by sharing this?’

This is good advice for children AND adults.

The NSPCC website here is a great place to find out more info. Take a look!