August 23, 2022

Read This Before Sharing your Child's 'First Day of School' Photos
 

Dear Friend,

It's that time of year and kids everywhere are heading back to school! Before you send your children on their way, we're sharing a few helpful tips to keep them safe:

Think twice before sharing that First Day of School photo! While it may feel extra special (or obligatory in some cases) to share your child's special day on social media, sharing personally identifiable information about your child may come with unintended consequences.

A single photo can be used by a sexual predator or trafficker to track and harm a vulnerable child or teen.

Do not share identifying details about a child when you post on social media. Instead, consider the following as shared by Officer Ashley on the St. Louis Police Department Facebook page. She suggests, for example, using the sign on the left for social media, and the sign on the right on the right to share pics with close friends and family. 

Further, be proactive and take specific steps in advance to prevent your child from being exposed to online dangers while using their digital devices.

Use “Tools”, better known as Parental Controls on all internet-enabled devices including smartphones, computers, tablets and gaming systems. Most parental controls allow a parent to set different levels of controls for different children. When used together, these tools provide effective layers of protection. Turn on Parental Control Tools to:

  • Set filters to block inappropriate content, including pornography.

  • Set monitoring/accountability tools to track apps usage, website visits, e-mails, messaging and other internet activities. Monitoring also provides detailed reports on the child’s online activities.

  • Set time limits.

  • Block inappropriate apps or games.

  • Set up parent-approved buddy and gamer lists to limit who your child can communicate with.

It is imperative that you use both Rules 'N' Tools® with each of your children on all devices they use. Follow the link here for “Rules” -- non-technical measures in addition to the " Tools" above to help you become a better cyber-savvy parent.

At Enough Is Enough®, our mission is to make the internet safer for children and families and prevent the online sexual exploitation of children. We hope you will visit internetsafety101.org to learn more! Wishing students a safe return to school and a successful school year!

Join us to keep kids safer online and Fund The Fight to help EIE continue to protect children in the digital world. We'd appreciate your most generous gift!

The team at Enough Is Enough®,
Your Internet Safety Experts