➟ Familiarize yourself with all the features in the IM
program your grandchild wants to use and consider
potential risks. IM programs may enable sharing of
photos, allow you to give remote access to your com-
puter (which gives a person on another computer
access to your files), facilitate group communications,
and provide location finders that help someone pin-
point a device’s location.Stay Safer on Social Networking Sites
Two things can help you determine the appropriateness of a social
networking site for your grandchild:➟ Age restrictions.Typically, social networking sites
provide clear age guidelines. For example, Club
Penguin (see Figure 11-3) is designed for 6–14 year
olds, but it’s open to all ages; Webkinz is designed for
users 6–13+; MySpace and Facebook require users to
be 13 or older.➟ Spend time browsing the site and reading the site’s
safety and privacy protection policies with your
grandchild.Look at the types of interactions and
communications that are occurring and compare the
site’s stated standards to their actual enforcement of
standards. Nothing beats actually exploring a site for
helping you determine whether it’s appropriate for
children in your care.When you’re grandchild is ready to sign up, be aware that accepting the
service’s default settings may expose more information than he or she
intended. Children should be especially cautious about exposing too
much about their name, age, or location. Here’s how to make smart
choices when opening a social network account:219Chapter 11: Grandparents Rule!