Social media guru, Jessie Miller, spoke to a group of curious parents on Tuesday night about the challenges of parenting children who are digital natives. Though difficult to summarize an hour long presentation in a few short paragraphs, we are sharing the highlights of his talk below:

The Internet is EVERYWHERE. Even if one tries to control it or filter it, it will find your children. As well, with so many children on data plans, the best efforts of educational institutions to limit what students are exposed to are circumvented.

Parents should Google their children's names, including their user names for online gaming purposes, to see what comes up. Children need to understand that they all develop online reputations and should be mindful as to how they choose to represent themselves on social media and other platforms. In due time, universities, potential employers, new relationships and even potential in-laws will search your children's names to assess the content of their character. Every time one posts, s/he is contributing to their "brand."

Privacy is an idea; not a setting. Everything posted on the Internet is archived (see archive.org) and can eventually be accessed. Snapchat's "photo disappearing" promise does not mean the photos disappear from the company's servers thus students should think carefully before posting. There can also be legal ramifications to compromising and/or inappropriate posts. Students should realize that anything they post can eventually be seen by authorities, if need be.

We need to accept that children are digitally-engaged and mobile connected. Parents must continually have conversations with their children both to inform them of the inherent risks and to remind them that parents have ultimate say and the power to check their devices at any time.