A Note from Ms. Jurs on Social Media Safety
Hello Lily Lake Families,
With the holiday weekend upon us, I wanted to take a moment to share with you some information about a popular gaming app called Discord Chat App. This app is becoming increasingly popular with teens and tweens. If your child has this app, please talk with him/her about the safety of the app and make sure you are aware of what and how they are using it when they are gaming. I am providing you with a video link in an effort to share with you more information about the safety concerns surrounding this app. One of the biggest concerns surrounding Discord Chat App is that users can message other app users privately and circumvent parental restrictions. SmartSocial Info about Discord
Please take a minute to view this video and talk with your child about safety on the internet. Using this app could potentially allow for a negative digital footprint.
Thank you in advance for taking time to discuss internet safety with your child.
Ms. Jurs
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With the digital age here, more and more students at younger and younger ages are getting onto social media apps. As the building principal and district safety coordinator I feel it is important that parents keep up on the newest apps out there and what they really offer. Many students freely sign up for apps and hop onto social media with little thought as to the safety ramifications that could occur as a result.
I am a parent of a teenager and have found that becoming informed and working with my child to ensure her safety has resulted in much better communication and her even asking me questions as to if a new app is safe, or not. It is important to understand what “permissions” a child is granting the app and whether or not it tracks their location. It is imperative that we adults monitor their activity and know who they are talking to, friending and reaching out to online!
I have found a free online parent resource that I would like to share with all of you! This resource has helped me navigate the many social media apps out there, have a better understanding of their capability and also lets me know the research behind what is deemed as “safe” or “unsafe.” Ultimately it is our job as parents to be the watchdog for our children and help give them safety strategies to navigate the larger social media world, but this resource is a step in educating me on the “latest/greatest” the kids find out about.
The name of the resource is: SmartSocial.com This resource offers parent universities that can be viewed with your child, U-tube videos on apps and if they are recommend for children, or not as well as other resources. Please consider looking into this resource, or others as we move into the summer months!
There will be a parent university coming up on May 30th on social media. Look for more information to come out from the district on this event.
SmartSocial.com Parent Resource
Positive and Negative Effects on Teens Health
In Partnership With You,
Ms. Jurs
Principal, Lily Lake Grade School