Nearly 2 million users in Ireland – 47% male 53% female.

900 new users per dayLinkedin

TwitterAverage Irish person spends 18 hours and 8 mins per month on

social networking sites.

http://www.facebook.ie

Facebook – the stats– 15 years of age = 7% (14,000)16 – 17 years of age = 6%18 – 24 years of age = 24%25 – 34 years of age = 31%35 – 44 years of age = 17%45 – 54 years of age = 8%55 – 64 years of age = 3%65+ years of age = 2% (Socialbakers.com)

teen’s 13 to 16 years of age (LSE)47% of Irish teen’s aged 13 – 16 years have a

Facebook profile14% of this age group admitted to faking the

age on their profile8% of this age group admitted to having their

profiles set to public11% listed their home address and telephone

number on their profile58% listed their school35% have more than 100 contacts22% contacted people they didn’t know

(apart from through the internet) on social networks (including Facebook and other)

Children 9 to 12 years of age (London School of Economics, LSE)

21% of Irish children aged 9 – 12 years have a Facebook profile

49% of this group admitted to faking the age on their profiles

14% of this group admitted to having their profiles set to public

6% listed their home address and telephone number on their profile

11% listed their school8% have more than 100 contacts25% contacted people they didn’t know (apart from

through the internet) on social networks (including Facebook and others)

TwitterSocial network site started late 2008/2009Twitter linkAllows users to post short messages Mostly used from mobile phonesUsed more and more by political parties and

commercial organisationsMessages are called tweetsNot used by school goers at present..

What are social networking sites

Social networking sites, sometimes referred to as "friend-of-a-friend" sites.

They build upon the concept of traditional social networks where users are connected to new people through people already known.

The average number of friends for each fb user is 130

A few facts :Facebook is a free online community where each

member has their own personal page

Facebookers post about likes and dislikes, their favourite films and music and photos, where they are going, their present locations and status

It can be updated all of the time and the online

diary aspect gives it a live, reality TV-like feel.

Each member has their own list of friends and each links on to another list, so the potential of meeting new people is endless. A complete set of pals can connect to one another, whole schools to whole schools, complete online communities.

The legal age of users who may create a profile is 13

What information can be found on a Facebook page ?NameLocationContact DetailsAge/GenderPhotographsList of friendsConversations with FriendsOnline Diary

Can also be accessed freely by mobile phone

Active engagement by Parents is the greatest

influence on children using the

internet NOT filtering software

as is commonly believed

Most Facebook users have developed a type of slang that can be difficult to read, and sometimes styles of writing can include letters being replaced with digits....i.e. h3r3 1z my bf p1c..l0l. Brb. (here is my boyfriends picture, laugh out loud, be right back.)

There is very little regulation but there is a facility where abuse may be reported. This may result in having pages removed or having another user blocked

It is rarely totally effective to block Social Networking sites from school computers as many students are well aware of the multiple access sites which they can use instead or will simply revert to accessing it via online smart phones.

What it looks like !

Parents can monitor their childs profile on facebook either by sitting with them as they are online, or by creating their own facebook site, which will allow them to see others who have public sites.

Setting up as yourself or someone else??

To set up a facebook account Go to www.facebook.com

Note : you can only view your childs profile if they are public or if they have added you as a friend. If they have elected to have a private profile only their selected friends can view their page

To find a student can be difficult as they often don’t use their own name, preferring instead to use nicknames.

The best way to find them is to type in an unusual classmates first or surname into the search bar.

Search bar

To edit privacy settings

Read through this with your child and make careful selections about who can contact him/her

Once you block someone, that person can no longer see things you post on your timeline, tag you, invite you to events or groups, start a conversation with you, or add you as a friend.

To report abuse click on settings and from the drop down menu choose report a problem

What security implications do these sites present ?Social networking sites rely on the provision of a

certain amount of personal information. People may not exercise the same amount of caution

as they would when meeting someone in person because the internet provides a sense of anonymity

The lack of physical interaction provides a false sense of security

Social network users tailor the information for their friends to read, forgetting that others may see it

Often users want to offer insights to impress potential friends or associates, and so may exaggerate incidents.

While the majority of people using these sites do not pose a threat, malicious people may be drawn to them because of the accessibility and amount of personal information available on them.

The more information malicious people have, the easier it is for them to take advantage.

Child safety

My name is Maria....I’m 13 and I go to school in St Marys in Athboy. I like making new friends.

My Name is Paul......I’m 13 and I go to school in St Michaels in Athboy, do you want to meet me!

Employers

Security

Facebook users are responsible for their own passwords and if they tell you that someone else has blocked them out of their account, it is not true.

Any changes to their account, or any attempt to alter passwords etc will automatically be emailed to their email address, so they WILL be aware of that.

Despite your best attempts your child may have cleared their account, or have had it removed but can set up a new account under a different user name within minutes.

Blocking Social media sites in school is rarely effective as most students will be aware of the many ‘back door sites’ which will allow them access it anyway or use mobile phones to access it.

Please also remember Facebook can be a very positive, useful tool of communication for the vast majority of people who use it properly.

Difficulties which may arise for children and teenages using

Facebook etc.

Teenagers may be vulnerable if others post photographs taken during social events of them onto a public site.

Children and Teenagers may be subjected to abusive messages, or be excluded - cyberbullied

They may be personated, when others use their name and/or photographs to set up sites in their name.

They may have ‘hate sites’ or polls set up about them which lead to very distressing bullying events.

How can you protect your child?

Limit the amount of personal information posted - Do not post information that would make them vulnerable (e.g., your address, information about their schedule or routine) Do not check in.

If connections post information about them, make sure the combined information is not more than they would be comfortable with strangers knowing.

Remind your child/student to be skeptical - Don't believe everything they read online. People may post false or misleading information about various topics, including their own identities.

This is not necessarily done with malicious intent; it could be unintentional, a product of exaggeration, or a joke.

Take appropriate precautions, though, and try to verify the authenticity of any information before taking any action

Remember that the internet is a public resource – Users should be reminded to only post information that they are comfortable with anyone seeing – even their Mother !

This includes information in their profile and in blogs and other forums and particularly photographs. Once information is posted online, it cannot be retracted permanently.

Even if the information is removed from a site, saved or cached versions may still exist on other people's machines.

Software has now been developed and is being used by many employers to view the profiles of employees or prospective employees. Therefore do not enter, or allow others to enter information which could compromise your good name or job prospects in the future.

Also employers may ask interviewees to open their facebook site while at interview.

How to stay safe onlineDo not give any personal details onlineNever agree to meetMake profile private – although this does not

guarantee safety alone.Block abusive peopleReport abuse to Facebook and gardai if

necessaryDo not accept anyone you don’t know.Be careful who you pick as your friends, and how

much knowledge you share about yourself with others.

If there are any incidents of bullying, copy and paste the offending material, and save a copy for the authorities to deal with it.

Younger children in particular should never be allowed to set a password which the parent does not know.

Parents should set the guidelines and rules for internet use within the home

Parents should check regularly what their children are doing on the internet and enforce your own rules.

Never reply to nasty or suggestive messages, instead save or print them and report the matter.

SummaryActive engagement by Parents is the greatest

influence on children using the internet and in particular social networking sites such as Bebo.

You have taken a positive step tonight by coming here to attend this talk.

Now take the time to become familiar with social networking sites and ensure that your child is safe

.

Further reading and referencehttp://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST06-

003.html

http://isedj.org/isecon/2006/3333/ISECON.2006.Snyder.pdf

Helpful website which gives advice and help in dealing with cyberbullying. – National Parents Council, Primary

http://www.npc.ie

Thank you for your time and attention

Margaret Deegan B.A., H. Dip Ed. M. Sc. Techology & Learning.