Facebook Now Has a 'Parents Portal' to Help Stop Cyberbullying

Good news for all those social media-adverse parents out there worried about what their kids are doing online: Facebook has just launched it's new Parents Portal as a resource to help you navigate your child's social experience.

The Portal—which lives in the Safety section of the site—featues basic info for parents about how Facebook works—how to sign up, post content, and add friends, plus a list of common terms, resources from experts from around the world, and a bunch of safety info on things like how to create a secure password, and how to block and report inappropriate content.

There are also some pointers for talking to your kids about staying safe online, including:

• Engage early: Data suggest that parents should engage online with their children as soon as they are on social media. Consider friending them when they join Facebook.
• Identify and seize key moments: For example, when your child gets their first mobile phone, it's a good time to set ground rules. When your child turns 13 years old and is old enough to join Facebook and other social media, it's a good time to talk about safe sharing. It also serve as an opportunity to talk about issues of safety, privacy and security.
• Ask your children to teach you: Children are more in touch with the newest apps and sites, and they can be an excellent resource.

So true! Although I have to say, my kids are 11 and 14, and while they are both very active on Instagram and Snapchat, neither one of them seems particularly interested in joining the Facebook party, which is already overrun with parents.

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"At Facebook, we take the safety of all of our users, especially children, very seriously," explains Alex Stamos, Facebook's Chief Security Officer, in a Parents Portal video. "We want to have a partnership with parents where we can work together to make sure that their kids are not only safe while they're children, but learn the ways that they should be careful for their entire lives."

Thumbs up!

Hollee Actman Becker is a freelance writer, blogger, and mom of two who writes about parenting and pop culture. Check out her website holleeactmanbecker.com for more, and then follow her on Instagram and Twitter.