Many parents don't really "get" this whole social networking thing. Some parents simply don't want to know. Others really want to know so they can understand what their kids are doing online.

One of the challenges that some adults find in social networks is that they aren't comfortable with the netiquette on a given site. They are perfectly functional adults in every other social situation, but when they get online, the rules are different. Until someone tells them the etiquette, they don't know what "normal" is. If they want to sign up for a profile on one or more of the same sites as their kid, they will most likely want to link to your, i.e. their child's, profile.

Here are some things to keep in mind when introducing parents to the world of social networking:

As a teen, you've probably looked at tons of blogs and may even have blogs of your own on the Internet. For those of you who are just starting off, a blog is your very own portion of the web where you can express your views, post pictures or video and gather feedback on a variety of topics. The SafetyClicks site that you are on is a blog where we talk about online family safety tips on a variety of topics. Whether you're an experienced blogger, or just starting out, here are some basic things to keep in mind:

Think Before You Post:
What can you post on a blog? Just about anything! But that doesn't mean you should post anything and everything. As with anything that you post on the Internet, always remember to think before you post. What you say online is out there forever, and you really don't want to post something that could come back and haunt you for many years to come. Even if you delete something you posted from your blog, someone else may have copied it and posted it elsewhere on the Internet. I would recommend you also read another blog on this site, "Who's Looking at You," to understand how your virtual world could impact your success (or not!) in the real world.

Be your own person. Don't let friends or strangers pressure you to be someone you aren't. And know your limits. You may be Net-savvy, but people and relationships change, and unexpected stuff can happen on the Internet.

Be nice online. Or at least treat people the way you'd want to be treated. People who are nasty and aggressive online are at greater risk of being bullied or harassed themselves. It's a vicious cycle you really don't want to get into.

Think about what you post. Sharing provocative photos or intimate details online, even in private emails, can cause you problems later on. Even people you consider friends can use this info against you, especially if they become ex-friends.

In the real world, my children need my permission anytime they want to have friends over. I know when they arrive, when they leave, and all the activities that go on in between (usually because they're so loud that I can't help from knowing, or they are so bored that I am expected to help them 'find something to do').

In the virtual world, though, we don't always have the same ability to monitor our kids' online activities, and this is especially true in the case of webcams. Webcams pose a significant threat to online safety because they can allow virtual strangers to peek inside your home, almost as if they were looking through a window. If children aren't taking the right precautions, outsiders can potentially see how they are dressed, what they look like, what they're doing and, just as with pictures, they can learn a lot about your kids from what is within view in the background.

Does your child have a webcam? Before you answer take a good look at your computer monitor or laptop because they are now being built-in and are so inconspicuous you could look right over them (especially with the newer Mac laptops). And, if they do, do you know how the camera being used?

Being armed with the combination of good information and good judgment is particularly important when you allow your child to be online. Talking to your kids regularly about how to be safe goes a long way. Even if you think they aren't listening, some or all of what you tell them is bound to sink in. So the more you can make the topic of keeping safe online a part of your day-to-day conversations, the more you provide your child the building blocks for a fun, enriching and safe online experience.

Although it is up to each parent to develop the rules that best apply to your child, there are some fundamental household rules that every parent should think about including.

? Keep the computer in a central location in the home instead of a child's bedroom.

? Anything that makes a child feel uncomfortable should be shared with a parent.

? Do not believe everything you read on the Internet.

? Children cannot meet people they meet online without a parent.

? Do not share passwords with anyone, including friends.

Have you tried talking to your teen about how the Web is permanent and how the things they post online could come back to haunt them in the future? Do you get a blank look or a standard "Yes, Mom" response that you know means your teen hasn't taken what you've said seriously?

Please, keep at it. Kids need to learn at an early age that the Internet has become the world's electronic archive, and once photos are posted online, they can persist there forever. Your teen daughter may not care today that a friend posted a photo of her on Facebook in a provocative pose, but she will likely care later if that photo pops up in a Google search conducted by a future college recruiter or prospective employer.

Sometimes, tasteless photos have even been used by the justice system to demonstrate a defendant's character or state of mind. These are extreme examples to be sure -- most teens aren't involved in crimes -- but they help demonstrate how online photos have had a real-life impact for shortsighted kids:

Criminal prosecutors have recently begun searching for evidence on social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook that enables them to pursue harsher sentencing against people they've prosecuted. In several cases, prosecutors have found incriminating photos of defendants in DUI cases -- many of which had resulted in serious injury and/or death -- to secure longer prison sentences.

Take the case of 20-year old Joshua Lipton. While awaiting sentencing in a drunk-driving case where a woman was seriously injured, prosecutors obtained pictures posted on Facebook of Joshua drinking and wearing a jailbird costume for Halloween -- just two weeks after his accident. Prosecutors used these pictures as evidence that Joshua was unremorseful for his actions. The result: a prison sentence of two years.

Talk to your kids about stories like these, and discuss their reactions. It's a good bet that if you share other stories as you hear about them, reality will begin to sink in: Once you post something, it exists forever. Even if you try to delete it, someone else may have already copied it and posted it elsewhere. The Internet is forever. Think before you post.

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