Shocking Facebook Statistics and Why I Recommend True Care
Do You Really Know Who Your Kids are Chatting With?
The ugly side of Facebook and other social sites.
- Phoebe Prince 15, commits suicide - 6 Teenagers Are Charged After Classmates Suicide - NYTimes.com
Felony indictments are a sharp legal response to the problem of adolescent bullying. - 13 yr old Megan Meier Hangs Herself - Neighborhood Mom to blame.
Cyber Hoax Led to Teen's Suicide - Fake Facebook Profile leads to teens relentless taunting.
Parents trying to protect their children from Internet bullying are scrambling to catch up with the technology.
Did You Know?
Did you know that 73% of victims targeted by sexual predators were between 12 and 15 years old? Did you know that 33% were initiated through a social networking site? Did you know that 71% of teens report having been approached by strangers online, and that 40% said they would chat with a person the didn't know?
There may be a few reasons parents aren't supervising their child's online activity. For instance, they aren't educated enough about these networks and flat out just don't realize the risks involved, or they may not realize their child has an account at all. In some cases, I've heard parents say to me that they didn't feel the need to intrude on their child's privacy because they trusted their judgement.
It's so easy for predators to locate and target children on the internet, especially in cases where there is little to no supervision over there online time. There are a number of ways for kids to be victimized through the world wide web. Social networking sites may seem virtually harmless, and in most cases it probably is, but in others have become stomping grounds for not only sexual predators and pedophiles, but also for cyberbullying, identity theft, and other fraud as well.
5 Million 10 and under have a Facebook
More Shocking findings from Consumer Report just this year, despite the 13 year old minimal age to open an account on Facebook
- 20 million underaged kids have a Facebook account
- 1/3 (7.5 million) are 13 and under
- 5 million of them are 10 and under
- Only 10% of the 10 and under's parents had spoken to their children about the different dangers and risks that could come from being online.
- If the child is at least 13, Facebook cites Federal Electronic Privacy Laws and will NOT cancel the account just because the parents request it.
True Care watches over your kids when you can't
I was given on opportunity at a free trial to True Care which excited me once I read about it. Especially since I recently allowed my son,13, to start a Facebook account. I wanted a way to monitor his online account without having to stand over his shoulder, or spending hours on his profile trying to spot anything suspicious. It's not that I don't trust him, I just feel it's necessary to be aware of the things being posted either by him, or about him by someone else. I personally don't care if people feel that's an invasion of privacy, this is one area not worth the risk to me.
What is True Care?
True Care is a Social Network Monitoring and Alert Service designed for parent's or guardians who want to monitor their children's online activity, without completely stripping away their privacy. It's non intrusive and doesn't have to be installed into yours or your child's computer. It simply sends a request to your child to allow an app to monitor their profile for any inappropriate content, or suspicious friend requests and such. You don't even have to be their Facebook friend, all you need is an email address.
How Does True Care Work?
True Care has a database of 500 preset words/phrases that could be a sign of potential risk or danger including, sex, violence, drugs, alcohol, bullying, and even depression. This database is completely customizable and you can add or remove words and phrases as you see fit. Some other things you may consider adding are slang terms, abbreviations, people's names (maybe a boyfriend or girlfriend they've been forbidden to be in contact with), details like you're address and contact information so you will know if it's being given out for any suspicious reason, etc. True Care scans all areas of your child's profile alerting you with any relevant activity, if and when it catches anything that's listed in the database.
My Favorite Things about True Care:
- It works no matter where your child logs in at, home, school, friend's house, mobile phone...
- Alerts you when they receive a friend request who True Care has identified as being an adult
- Provides you with a dictionary of updated slang terms and abbreviations like "POS" Parent over Shoulder.....
- Can be used with YouTube, Myspace, and Twitter as well....
- Very easy to use and setup within minutes....
- The Internet Safety Page provided full of videos and other resources on this topic
- They provide you with a Family Social Media Agreement to help you talk to your kids about this application, and why it's necessary, and also to help them understand that their privacy is not being violated, only protected.
You can try True Care risk free for 60 Days
As a courtesy of True Care and this campaign through BzzAgent, you can try True Care for a FREE 60 Day Trial. No catch, no gimmick. I do not get rewarded or paid for you to try it, it is not an affiliate link. Just a courtesy service on a topic that deserves more attention.Try True Care now for 60 Days
When I see stories on the news about kids killing themselves over bullying, or kids being lured and murdered by someone they have met online, it just sickens me. I really believe that the responsibility starts in the home to protect the kids. They don't always know what's a good situation versus one that could be harmful to them and so it is the responsibility of parents/guardians to watch over them more carefully. This is why services like True Care are necessary now days to assist. With all the technology and parents not really knowing much about it, the monitoring service makes it easier to safeguard your child's privacy and well being on a constant watch.