Social Media Tips for Parents, brought to you by the Lancaster Station & Fraud & Cyber Crim

Today, Lancaster Sheriff's Station and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Fraud and Cyber Crimes Bureau bring you social networking tips for parents!

What parent of a child any where from 4 years old to 17 years old hasn't heard of Fortnite, Snapchat, Call of Duty or Instagram? We all have right? While games and social media apps can be a lot of fun for kids and teens, it's important that parents exercise an abundance of caution while allowing their child to use the internet.

1. Know what your child is doing on social media. Be involved! 2. Know you child's social media passwords. All of them. For every app. 3. Inspect your child's friends list. If you don't know them personally, they should not be your child's friend. 4. Ensure your child's social media privacy settings are set to the appropriate levels. No adult man needs to be watching your 15 year old daughter's selfies and stories on Snapchat. Make sure they are set to "private". 5. If your child has a certain social media account, you should also have an account on that platform. This will allow you to easily follow up on what accounts they are interacting with. 6. Remember, nothing is ever "deleted" from the internet. Screenshots mean once something is posted, it lasts forever. 7. Talk to your child about online predators and what to do if they are ever contacted by one. 8. Limit the information your children posts online. Posting birth dates, home addresses and other information can not only lure predators, but it is not uncommon for children to be victims of identity theft. 9. Online games that require players to connect/play with people they don't know, can be quite dangerous. A 9 year old may end up playing with or against a 15 year old. Headsets often used in the games prevent parents from hearing both sides of the conversation. Make sure your child knows what language is and is not tolerated in your home. 10. And finally, your phone is my phone. While we aim to respect our child's privacy, check your child's phone often. Apps such at Snapchat, have messages that disappear once they are read. Instagram has a feature called "direct messages" meaning anyone could be sending your child a private message.Be aware of not only predators but bullies that may be poking fun or taunting your child.

As with any aspect of parenting, communication and staying involved are key to keeping your child safe while they are online. We won't ask you to show us your floss or endless dab, but do keep an eye on what your child is playing and posting! Lancaster Sheriff’s Station polices the City of Lancaster, Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, and the unincorporated communities of Antelope Acres, Lake Los Angeles, and Quartz Hill in the Antelope Valley. Ali Villalobos Lancaster Sheriff’s Station Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department 501 W Lancaster Boulevard Lancaster, CA 93534 Station (661) 948-8466 Desk (661) 524-2154 Website: http://www.Lancaster.lasd.org LASD Text & Email Register at http://www.Nixle.com : http://nixle.com/lasd---lancaster-station-los-angeles-county-sheriff/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LancasterSheriffsStation Twitter: https://twitter.com/LANLASD Instagram: @lanlasd Facebook: http://facebook.com/lasdAli

Address/Location LASD - Lancaster Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff 501 W Lancaster Blvd Lancaster, CA 93534

Contact Emergency: 9-1-1 Non-emergencies: 661-948-8466