Lighthorse shares tips for social media and online safety

“It affects our youth and their innocence,” – Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Community Outreach Coordinator Malissa Beaver

OKMULKE, Oklv. – School is back in session, which means there will be a lot of social media posts from students throughout the school year. However, there are always online safety measures that can be taken to prevent scams and stolen personal information. Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police sat down with Mvskoke Media to discuss tips on how to stay safe online and how to properly monitor students’ online presence.

Malissa Beaver (Mvskoke), community outreach coordinator at MCN Lighthorse, spoke about social media and her experiences as a parent monitoring her children’s online presence and habits.

There are certain online applications, or apps, that students can keep secret from their parents. However, parents can browse through the settings of smart devices that show exactly what students are using. Some apps like Vault can hide user content.

Beaver noticed that the way students communicate with each other on social media has changed with applications like Instagram, Snapchat, and Volts. Beaver used her oldest daughter as an example. When she sends a text message to her daughter, the message doesn’t get answered right away. However, when the message is sent through Snapchat, the response is faster.

Beaver knows that some students use alternative social media apps where online predators lurk. Social media is a heavy responsibility for both students and adults.

“It affects our youth and their innocence,” Beaver said

Nowadays, dating apps are available via social media. Beaver acknowledges that there are situations where someone can be “catfished.” This refers to when someone engages in a fake online profile that contains false information. The goal of these fake profiles is to prey on vulnerable online users for personal gain.

“Predators use different images, but these days predators are getting bolder in using their own images and smarter about how they do things. They know how to pick the vulnerable ones,” Beaver said.

Stay safe online

According to the United Nations website on online predators, it states: “Most alarming is the threat from online predators. sexual exploitation and abuse. It has never been easier for child abusers to connect with their potential victims, share images and encourage others to commit crimes. Around 80% of children in 25 countries report feeling threatened by sexual abuse or exploitation online. Children can also be at risk when technology companies invade their privacy to collect data for marketing purposes. Marketing to children via apps – and the excessive screen time it often leads to – can jeopardize a child’s healthy development.”

Speaking about online privacy, Beaver said that what is shared online will always be online, regardless of whether it is deleted. Law enforcement agencies such as MCN Lighthorse Police have the ability to recover information that has been deleted. Beaver wants online users to keep this in mind before posting personal information.

Beaver said there are always safety precautions parents or guardians can use. A good place to start is to learn about the apps students want to use and familiarize yourself with the apps’ privacy settings, especially those that include location sharing. While location sharing can be helpful for parents or guardians, it can be used to alert online predators.

“So if you do allow your kids to use social media, at least do your homework with them and teach them how to use it safely,” Beaver said.

Guardians and grandparents may not be as media literate as their children or grandchildren, but it is still important to discuss what information is shared online.

For more information, please contact Malissa Beaver via email: [email protected] or call 918-732-7813.