With sharing so much information about yourself online being the norm nowadays you may be worried about protecting your child’s online reputation. But where do you start in this minefield of an online world? If you are really concerned you can employ a company such as Russell’s who provide privacy and reputation management. However, to start with yourself here are 5 tips to protect your child’s online reputation.
1. Learn about how their reputation is formed
Where does all this information come from? Learning how their internet history and online profiles are formed, including how it is stored is the first step to protecting your child’s online reputation. Once you know where the information comes from and where it can be found you can take further action if necessary.
2. Talk to them about their internet usage
Growing up in a world where using the internet and sharing information is a regular thing it is important to talk to your children about what they are sharing. Giving them the knowledge that what they post will almost never be removed is a good start. Make them understand that anyone can access what they share, and they need to be careful with their personal information. Talking to them about screen and web time is an excellent start.
3. Search your child and analyse what you find
You are not invading their privacy if the information is in the public domain. If you can find it, then anyone else can too. What is the first image you see or website link? Visit the links and decide if any of the information is concerning or untrue. Try different search engines too as different results may be found. Look at what personal and identifying features are available to find easily. You might want to share your findings with your child and discuss what is out there.
4. Decide if the online picture is a true picture of your child
Is what you have found a true picture of who your child really is? Do they appear to be the same age as they are, or have they been portrayed as older than they really are? A bad online reputation can have severe consequences. Especially if this has been formed over a long period of time. One bad comment can have an impact on their social relationships. But it can also cause problems in the future such as credit ratings and career prospects.
5. Encourage your child to make changes
Small things like removing their date of birth from social media and changing their privacy settings will make a big difference. Open social media accounts are a window into peoples lives, so encourage your child to only share with persons they know and trust. Ensuring their online accounts are as secure as possible will reduce their chances of being exploited, having their identity stolen or harming their reputation.
How will you protect your child’s reputation?
There are a few quick and easy ways to help protect your child’s online reputation. The main thing is understanding what is out there and what can be done to keep your child safe.
