The Greenstone Guide February 2017 | Page 16

16 | Greenstone EDUCATION FEBRUARY 2018 Social media and your kids For kids and teens, social media is an essential part of their lives, much the way telephones were important to us at their age. About 90% of teens have used some form of social media and 75% have a profile on a social networking site, experts say. M ore than half of all teens visit social networking sites every day. These numbers are way up from just a few years ago, and there’s almost no chance of them ever coming down again. There are plenty of good things about social media – but also many potential dangers and things that you want your kids and teens to avoid. They don’t always make the smartest choices when they post something to a site like Facebook or YouTube, and sometimes this can lead to problems. So it’s important for parents to teach their kids how to use social media wisely. The good Social media can help kids: • Stay connected with friends and family • Volunteer or get involved with a campaign, nonprofit, or charity • Enhance their creativity through the sharing of ideas, music, and art • Meet and interact with others who share similar interests The bad The flipside is that social media can be a hub for things like cyberbullying and questionable activities. Without meaning to, kids can easily share more online than they should. One study showed that 9 out of 10 teens post photos of themselves online or use their real names on their profiles; 8 out of 10 reveal their birthdates and interests; and 7 out of 10 post their school name and the town where they live. Actions like this can make kids easy targets for online predators and others who might want to cause them harm. These statistics about teens highlight the dangers of social media: • 17% of teens say they’ve been contacted online by someone they didn’t know in a 100% PASS RATE • BACHELOR DEGREE PASSES: 100% Congratulations to every 2017 Matriculant TOP ACHIEVERS Monique Pinheiro 8 Distinctions Deborah Obeng 7 Distinctions Helena Da Costa 7 Distinctions Vuyo Sontshaka 7 Distinctions Chiara Blows 7 Distinctions Erin Hutton 7 Distinctions Samantha Thurgood 7 Distinctions Patricia Zongololo 6 Distinctions Karen Hsu 6 Distinctions Jenna Smith 6 Distinctions Taryn Glazebrook 5 Distinctions Robyn Hock 5 Distinctions Khanyisa Mdazuka 5 Distinctions (Including AP English) (Including AP English) All subjects exceeded IEB national subject averages • 12 subjects attained overall averages of 70% or more OPEN DAY : Saturday, 3 rd February 2018, 09h00 – 11h30 Horwood Street, Edenvale, Johannesburg | Telephone: [phone] | [email protected] | @HolyRosaryJHB | HolyRosaryJHB | @holyrosaryjhb | www.holyrosaryschool.co.za