Personal Information

In taking advantage of all that digital media has to offer, youth have to make tough choices on what personal information they will share. Some personal information is necessary to facilitate social interactions, employment opportunities, and online purchases. But many kinds of information should only be shared with validated sources and some should not be shared online under any circumstances.

Here are important recommendations from our friends at Reputation.com:

“Generally, the information that children shouldn’t share online doesn’t deviate much as they get older. Personally identifiable information such as home addresses, phone numbers, and excessive pictures should always be avoided. At an early age, establish with children the difference between personal information and public information. As your child gets older, focus on reinforcing that message but also explaining the nuances between public and private sharing.

“By the time your teens are in high school, they should be keeping most of their personal information private, but they should also consider using the Internet to share positive content about themselves so as to build a strong online reputation and attract college admissions officers and potential job recruiters later in life.”

Elementary School Kids Should Never Share:

Age
Full Name
Address
Phone Number
Name of School
Password Information
Images (with possible exception depending on parental involvement)

Middle School Kids Should Never Share:

Age
Full Name
Address
Phone Number
Name of School
Password Information (even to friends)
Most Images (At this age, kids get into social networking and will be sharing images via cell phones and digital cameras. Parents should focus on limiting the images their children share online)

High School Kids Should Never Share:

Address
Phone Number
Password Information (even to friends)
Offensive or Sexually Suggestive Images or Messages

Media can make many interactions more efficient and convenient, these tools should be used only under certain circumstances. What follows is an outline of how information sharing can support growth or put users at risk, depending on how it’s done.

Benefits and Risks of Digital Media:

Digital media can put users at risk by exposing information to anyone with the know-how to access it—resulting in identity theft or boundary invasion.

However, digital media offers a means to share information quickly and broadly. Teens can locate nearby resources (e.g., by entering a ZIP code, address, or school name into a search engine) and share relevant information with friends and family (e.g., social plans, pick-up times).

RELATED ISSUES

The following articles give further information on topics related to Personal Information.

Cybersecurity: Digital Citizenship 101
Cybersafety: Digital Citizenship 101
Digital Reputation
Gang Recruitment: Using Technology to Prevent & Detect
Online Commerce
Password Safety and Security
Social Networking

Personal Information