There are multiple social media sites that our students participate in.  Here are a few examples of those most used and what they are used  for. If you have any questions about a social media network please contact Miss Rayana Martin, School Counselor - rmartin@stpaulbrl.org.

All sites are accessed with an email/username and password. 

FACEBOOK: Used to post picture, videos, personal status, and create groups or events. Page can be made private, although if it is not, all personal information is available to anyone else on Facebook around the world. A student with FB will receive "Friend Requests," students should only allow people they know to see their page. I encourage all students with FB to keep all information private and be responsible when sharing.  

 TWITTER: Much like FB you can post pictures, videos, and post a status (only 120 characters allowed on Twitter, FB is unlimited). Twitter is very quick, with people posting very often and all day long. A Twitter account has "Followers" and you can choose who follows you. Students are encouraged to only allow "Followers" that they know, and "Tweet" responsibly and appropriately.

 INSTAGRAM: This is extremely popular with middle school and younger students. Instagram is a forum to post pictures and have others "like" or comment on them. Instagram can also be made to be private through the Settings. When Instagram is not set to private, millions of people can see students pictures. 

SKYPE: This is used to communicate through texting, voice, or video. This can be used on any computer with a camera on it. This is very similar to the "FaceTime" on most iPhones, in which you can see the person while you are talking to them. 

SNAPCHAT: This is a photo messaging application. It can be on a computer or an app on a cell phone. A person send a picture to a friend, and sets a time limit of on the picture of how long it can be viewed (5 seconds for example). The friend receieves the picture, opens it and can view it for 5 seconds. The problem is, with most smart phones the friend you send it to can "screen shot" the picture. This is done by holding 2 buttons at once on the iphone. That picture is now no longer available for 5 minutes, its available forever. Student are encouraged to only use Snapchat appropriately. 

 GOOGLE HANGOUTS:  This is an instant messaging application.  It can be accesed through google email on a computer or as an app on a cell phone.  Hangouts allows users to communicate with two or more users.  Photos can be shared during conversations as well as emojis.  Google Hangouts  also has a group video chat that can be used with up to ten different users.  It is used mostly to communicate with multiple people in one online conversation.

Here are a few helpful sites with tips for parents about internet safety:

http://www.netsmartz.org/safety/safetytips

http://www.fosi.org/downloads/resources/fosi-parent-tips.pdf

http://www.embracecivility.org/wp-content/uploadsnew/2014/03/ECDAIBcybersavvyparents.pdf

http://www.iroc2.org/1.html