by Christa Melnyk Hines
A
s parents, we often hear stories about the shadowy side of social media. Although
problems can crop up, the networking tool can be instrumental in helping kids learn, connect,
increase their awareness and grow into more mindful communicators.
Kids who have a passion for photography, art, video production,
music or writing can use applications like blogs, YouTube and Instagram to express themselves.
Maggie Pike, a college freshman, says she uses her Instagram page to post photos of world events and
people of different cultures.
“Social media can be a great source of creativity,” she says. “There are poems being posted, interesting
questions being asked, or funny or cool videos being shared... Positive examples are everywhere, more so
than the negative aspects of social media.”
TIP:
Discuss how your child will respond to any negativity that might come her way from Internet trolls or cyberbullies.
Remove geo-locator tags from photographs and overly specific information from profiles. Establish privacy settings and
remind your kids to make positive choices online.
“You start developing your personal brand identity as soon as you
go online,” says Linda Buchner, president and co-founder of MindDrive,
a non-profit workforce development organization that recruits
students from urban Kansas City schools. The students, ages 13 to 19,
choose to enroll in contemporary communications or automotive
design.
The communications team works in tandem with the automotive
team, sharing the MindDrive brand through video production,
marketing materials and social media.
In 2013, the students earned national attention when they
programmed their futuristic-looking electric car to recognize social
media connections. Fueled by social media likes, shares and hashtags,
they successfully drove the car from Kansas City to Washington D.C.
TIP:
Encourage your child to practice her public speaking and presentation
skills by creating video interviews, podcasts and SlideShare presentations on
topics that interest her.
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