Q: Dear BBB; My daughter is obsessed with social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. She is constantly online chatting with her friends and sometimes even strangers. I've seen some reports lately in the media about scams targeting kids on social network sites. I'm a little bit overwhelmed by this modern technology, but I'm concerned about my daughter’s safety. Do you have any tips for parents on how we can protect or educate our kids about scams and social networking?
~ Concerned Caregiver
A: Concerned Caregiver, You are RIGHT to be concerned about protecting your daughter when she is online. Social networking sites can provide a secure way for kids to connect with each other, but they can also be exploited for any number of disreputable purposes. You don't necessarily need to understand the technology or be on the social media sites yourself to protect your child, but you do need to talk to her about playing it safe. I would suggest starting off by explaining that anything she does online is trackable, by you or scam artists. Whether you are an adult or child you should never share personal information online. You might need to explain clearly in detail what constitutes "personal" information that your child might unconsciously be sharing. One of the first rules we teach our kids is to never talk to strangers; remind her that the rule holds true when online. Talk to your child about restricting access to her profile to only friends or users in safe networks such as her school, clubs or church groups. And I would suggest getting your daughter to help you set up your own social media accounts so that your can better learn what social networking is all about. This will help you both talk to your daughter and relate to what she is doing better, while online. For more information about protecting yourself or your child from online fraud visit
vi.bbb.org.