Are your kids at risk on social media?

How many parents blanched when they read about the recent rape allegations involving three children that led to the Skout smartphone dating app closing and reviewing security measures in its teen section? This came at a time when many people have been discussing the very real safety and developmental hurdles should Facebook do more than just float the idea of opening the gate to kids under 12.

Being a parent today means protecting our kids from the dangers lurking in many more dark corners than our parents and grandparents ever had to worry about. The predators aren’t just the shady-looking guy on the outskirts of the playground, scouting for their prey. Today, they lurk without technically lurking, able to mask themselves in the obscurity of online personas and with access to many details about our kids without needing to spend much time and energy to get that information. So how on Earth is a parent to strike the precarious balance of allowing children to keep pace with the technology of the day while keeping them out of the ever-growing reach of predators using digital means to find them?