Many children have lived their entire lives on social media—from the first pregnancy announcement to ultrasound images, gender-reveal videos, and proud newborn photos. As they grow, every milestone is often captured: first bites of solid food, first steps, first day of school. Family vacations, sports, and holiday celebrations all appear online. For many parents, it’s a joyful way to stay connected with relatives and friends.

But experts say that sharing those joyful moments can also expose families to unexpected risks.
“I like to always focus on positive things, but there are negative things attached to social media,” said Eileen Cherbini, clinical coordinator of Florida Gulf Coast University’s department of counseling and a former school counselor for 18 years. Social media is a wonderful tool for staying in touch, but it requires responsibility, Cherbini said.

“You need to be cautious of what you share,” she said. “Not everybody has good intentions. The children are not part of the decision making. Our generation was given this incredible tool, but there needs to be guidance. We need to be aware of the consequences of what we post.”

Think before you post

She advises posting vacation photos after returning home so no one knows your house is empty. She advises parents to constantly check security settings because they can change during a phone update.

“Parents should not be posting anything that is private,” Cherbini stressed. For example, never post pictures of kids in the bathroom. “Think about the privacy of the child. If you are questioning what you are posting, don’t post it.”

Cherbini also advises college students to think before posting. “At FGCU we tell students you are going to be looked at online for employment, so be really aware before you post.”

Ariella VanHara, a licensed clinical social worker with FGCU, also agrees that social media can offer both benefits and risks.

VanHara noted that social media is a way for people of all ages to connect socially and build community. She sees nothing wrong with celebrating a child’s achievements online, but parents need to understand the risks.

“Nothing on the Internet is actually private,” she said. For example, “there are emojis to cover up private parts, but there are ways to erase emojis. And as the child grows up, those posts may resurface.”
She added that even seemingly harmless posts can cause embarrassment or harm later.

“Families might record their child having a temper tantrum,” VanHara said. “Is that fair to the child? Once you put it out there, you can’t control what people say. Be mindful of what is acceptable to share.”
Many parents in Southwest Florida said they are cautious about what they post.

“I post my children’s accomplishments as well as gatherings with friends to tag their parents as well because they would also appreciate the photos,” said Lauren Osborne. “I also post photos of us attending events around town and tag the organizers. What I don’t post is emotional vulnerability or anything that has to do with discipline.”

Tessa Morris said she became even more careful after hearing that photos of children in swimsuits had been stolen and reposted on porn sites. She now avoids posting anything of her daughter in gymnastics attire and mostly shares short-term content.

“I post more on “my stories” because they disappear after 24 hours,” she said. “I go through the posts, and if I see someone I don’t know I block and report them.”

When sharing becomes risky

Lt. Wade Williams, who works with INTERCEPT and the Victim Service Bureau of the Collier County Sheriff’s Department, said posting anything publicly online can be dangerous. He says it is not as easy as simply avoiding a photo with a child’s name, sports team, or school.

“Any public posts containing photographs of a child can be, and often are, exploited,” Williams explained.
“I would not recommend posting your children’s photos publicly at all.  Sending them to known friends on social media or posting where only your known family and friends can see them is fine.”

Williams said predators use small clues to identify families and children.

From just one social media account, “it is extremely easy to figure out where someone works, lives, or goes to school. These offenders are very motivated. If they come across a kid they like, they will take deliberate actions to get more information, to see if they can contact the child or befriend the mom online.” 

Williams says AI has made the risks ever greater. 

“We have seen a huge increase in AI-generated child sexual abuse material,” Williams said. “Offenders are taking innocent pictures from social media using them to create ultra-realistic images.”

Child advocates are also raising alarms about “kidfluencers” – children featured in family blogs and vlogs whose daily lives are broadcast online, and essentially live on a permanent TV or movie set.

Predators talk online about ‘Instamoms’ – mothers who post a lot about their kids, according to Wiliams. They pay close attention to those accounts of bloggers and vloggers. These advocates stress that it is important for parents to respect their children’s privacy and digital footprint. There are reasons to be concerned about these vloggers and influencers that turn their homes into reality shows as a way to make money.

Pushing for protections

Across the country, people are beginning to understand how growing up on social media can affect a child. In Illinois, Cam Barrett turned her childhood trauma over her mother’s online posts into advocacy, becoming an internet watchdog pushing for stronger protections for children. In a CNN report, Barrett talked about how her mother posted about her first period when she was just 9 years old. Everything in her life, from a skin condition to a car accident to tantrums, was posted on social media. Barrett helped Illinois become the first U.S. state to pass a law requiring parents of children featured in money-making online content to put a percentage of gross earnings into a trust. She also testified before the Washington State House about the state’s children’s privacy bill.

For many families, social media has become a digital scrapbook of childhood. But as the lines between memory-keeping and public sharing grow thinner, experts remind parents that the most meaningful moments don’t have to be posted to be preserved. Sometimes, keeping a memory private is the best way to protect it.

Additional Resources

• How to Protect SWFL Children from Cyberbullying and Keep Them Safe
• How Southwest Florida Parents Can Create Healthier Social Media Habits at Home
• How to Set Parental Controls on Your Child’s iPhone
• How to set up parental controls for your child’s Android device

The post Children’s Privacy on Social Media: What Parents Should Know Before Posting appeared first on SWFL Family.

From YouTube to Tik Tok to Instagram to Snapchat (and a dose of Facebook, largely now the domain of us older folks), 95% of teens ages 13-17 report using social media – with more than a third doing so “almost constantly.”

With U.S. teens spending an average of nearly five hours a day on social media, concerns about the potential harm of such behavior have prompted public health officials to call for action.

That includes the call by some, including the previous U.S. Surgeon General, for public health warning labels on social media platforms, like those now required on cigarettes and tobacco products.

Attorneys general of 42 states and U.S. territories similarly asked Congress to mandate such labels, citing the prevalence of cyberbullying; online hate speech; increased anxiety, depression, and rates of suicidal thoughts among heavy users; and lower self-esteem and disrupted sleep.

Research supports these concerns. A 2019 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that adolescents who spend excessive time on social media are at a heightened risk for mental health problems.

At the same time, many teens struggle trying to reduce screen time – a dependency that underscores the need for interventions that can raise awareness and encourage healthier behaviors.

Plan a social media diet

Just as you might create weekly or monthly meal plans or family menus, planning a healthy social media diet should be a family affair.

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a helpful online tool to help create a Family Media Plan at www.healthychildren.org/English/fmp/Pages/MediaPlan.

The plan is customizable, allowing families to select from priorities such as digital privacy and safety, creating screen-free times and zones, using media together (i.e., family movie nights), and kindness and empathy.

The family plan encourages participants to openly communicate about media, noting, “the more you discuss it as part of your daily routine – in the car, dinner table, or at a regular family meeting –​ the more natural it will become.” The plan offers eight tangible steps on how to do so, from “becoming more aware of how media and our emotions connect” to “learning how to better recognize ads on the Internet.”

Here are just some of the other suggestions generated by the tool:

Media balance

• Plan a screen-free activity to do together as a family every day.
• Track online activities and talk about which activities may be taking up too much time.
• Make a habit of turning off media that’s not being used by anyone.
• Have fewer apps on our devices.

Digital privacy and safety

• Set lock-screen reminders.
• Realize when we turn to media to dull our own emotions and find healthier ways to cope.
• Set and follow safety rules for who we chat with online.
• Conduct periodic device check-ups. When done with transparency and respect, device check-ups are not about invading privacy, they’re about creating an opportunity for trust and conversation.

Screen-free zones

• Keep meals screen free.
• Keep bedrooms screen free at night.
• No text (or email, web searches, live streaming, etc.) while driving.
• No devices on the way to and from school.
• Hold off on social media use until age 13 or older, with parent support.

Screen-free times

• Choose which days of the week are OK for screens and media.
• Have a homework-and-screens plan.
• Use only one screen at a time.
• Avoid screens before school.
• Plan one screen-free day each week.
• Silence phones by putting them on “do not disturb” during family time and playtime.
• Avoid screens during the hour before sleep.

When used responsibly, social media for children and teens – like for adults – can create a profound sense of connection with peers, from classmates to someone across the globe. It can expose users to new views and perspectives and supportive online communities that may be hard to form in real life. It’s also an incredibly potent tool that, in the wrong hands, can cause immense harm.

Time will tell if, like cigarettes, our social media platforms will carry public health warning labels. At home, there’s no need to wait. An adaptable, responsive Family Media Plan will help you and your loved ones better navigate the digital road ahead, one click at a time.

The post How Southwest Florida Parents Can Create Healthier Social Media Habits at Home appeared first on SWFL Family.

Good Skincare Habits

Introducing good skincare habits to children early can be beneficial. Rather than focusing on popular brands and anti-aging buzzword ingredients, the focus should be on healthy skin. Good sunscreen is the most essential “anti-aging” and overall protective skincare product for all age groups.

If your preteens and adolescents are invested in staying on trend with a multistep routine, a gentle cleanser, sunscreen, and moisturizer regimen would fit all the needs of healthy, young skin. Most adolescents have skin more sensitive than adults, so stick to simple, hypoallergenic products.

Parents of teens experiencing acne should avoid purchasing comedogenic products. Comedogenic products can plug pores and exacerbate acne. For many acne-prone adolescents, adding in a step at night with the now over-the-counter acne retinoid, adapalene, is a good start. Next, meet with a local board-certified dermatologist to discuss an acne regimen.

More ingredients do not equal a quality product. Products with additional active ingredients, higher costs, or increased steps in their skincare routine do not necessarily correlate with improved skin health. Using ingredients containing acids or retinoids/retinols, without the guidance of a dermatologist, can cause more damage to preteens and teenagers.

Bobbi Georgia Brady M.D., is a board-certified dermatologist at the the Woodruff Institute. www.thewoodruffinstitute.com 

The post TikTok preteen and teen skincare trend: A Naples dermatologist take on the damage to kids’ skin appeared first on SWFL Family.

Later, a family sits at a table enjoying their cold treat at a local ice cream shop. The two boys hold their ice cream in one hand while moving their fingers on their tablets, playing a game. Across the table, their parents are busy scrolling on their phones. No one is talking.

Cellphones have been around since at least 1990, but it wasn’t until recent years that they became such a significant part of the fabric of many lives, especially teens.

Catherine Saadeh, a Gulf Coast High School sophomore, spends about three hours a day on her phone. She scrolls through Instagram and posts photos. She finds both the positive and the challenges of being surrounded by social media.

“You can interact with people you don’t live near,” she began. “It can increase connections, but it can also be used negatively, like with online bullying. A lot of people are on social media, and social media can be fake. They will see something fake, and then they will try to change their lives to do something that is not real.”

Avery Black, a junior at Naples High School, spends three to four hours a day on her phone, mainly on Instagram or Spotify.

Social media “provides another way to communicate with friends and family no matter where they are,” she said. On the negative side, Avery said that some people spend their time on their phones instead of talking to others.

Avery tries to find a balance in her life and enjoys weightlifting and lacrosse. She also puts her phone aside to talk to her friends. “Most of the time, we are talking to each other, but if the conversation is not going anywhere, we will go to our phones,” she said.

Other teens go right to their phones and don’t even bother with conversation. Larry Olmedo, an Aubrey Rogers High School freshman, wishes his friends would talk to each other at lunch, but all they do is look at their phones.

Ilormise Sirenord, a Lorenzo Walker Technical High School sophomore, says it is often easier to be on her phone than to have a face-to-face conversation. She said her cellphone helps her connect and feel more comfortable communicating.

“I am more of an introvert, so having a screen helps me think through my thoughts,” she admitted. “I don’t have the pressure to say things right away.”

Using a phone to communicate does give teens a way to avoid social awkwardness, but it is not always beneficial. Sapien Labs, a nonprofit that has done extensive research on media usage, issued a recent report that noted, “Social behavior is complex; it involves reading and decoding nuances in facial expression, body language, tone of voice, touch, and even olfactory cues to infer intent, establish connection, and build trust.” Much of that gets lost on social media.

Ilormise loves to read and said she would be reading all the time if she didn’t have a phone. But, the teen spends about four hours daily on her cellphone, mainly on TikTok and Instagram.

Sarah Lindo, a sophomore at Immokalee High School, loves fashion and finds an outlet for this hobby on her phone. She spends two to three hours a day on Pinterest and Instagram.

Sarah also uses Instagram to advocate for a variety of issues. “I am a believer in using social media for different causes,” she stressed.

For many teens, phones are a vital part of their daily routine, and their relationship with their devices can be complicated. A Pew Institute study showed that 95 percent of teens in the U.S. have access to a smartphone. The study found that teens use their phones to connect with others and avoid face-to-face interactions.

“There are so many ways you can use your phone,” said Siri Kolli, an Aubrey Rogers High School sophomore. She enjoys communicating with friends and family but says her phone makes procrastinating easy.

Siri spends three to four hours on her phone daily, mainly on Instagram and TikTok. “There is a need to find a balance,” she stressed. “My friends and I usually talk. We find a balance between communicating with each other and being on our phones.”

Siri said it is easy for her to lose track of time because the apps can be so entertaining, but she lures herself away to play volleyball or spend time with her sisters.

Julian De Leon and Nolan Colebrooke, both sophomores at Aubrey Rogers High School, are best friends who say they prefer to socialize in person, but because they don’t live near each other, they spend five to six hours a day on their phones.

“We would rather be hanging out with each other, 100%,” Julian said. “But none of us have cars, so we can only hang out on weekends.”

Yet Nolan said he would trade all the time watching funny videos to be a little kid without a phone.

“When we are at lunch at school, everybody has their phones,” Nolan said. “They have no personality. When I was a little kid, I was outside all day playing with friends. I would rather be doing that.”

THE EXPERTS WEIGH IN

Like the teens interviewed, experts agree that there are both benefits and drawbacks to cellphones and social media. Stacey Brown, a licensed mental health counselor and trauma specialist in Fort Myers, says it is all about what you use the phone for and how much time you spend with it.

“The technology has the shadow side and the bright side,” Brown began. “Inherently, it is not a problem, but you need to stay in the light and keep your balance.”

She said sites like Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok have highly stimulating visuals. Brown compared it to MTV, which was popular in the 1980s. “We all like splashy things and quick edits, which is why those videos are popular,” she explained. “We all get a dopamine boost when we look at this stuff, which is not a problem unless you become dependent on it.”

Brown said during the pandemic and after Hurricane Ian, given the isolation and fewer things to do, many adults and kids became dependent on social media.

According to Nancy Dauphinais, chief operating officer and licensed mental health counselor at the David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health in Naples, much about cellphones’ effect on children and teens is unknown. “This is really a hot-button topic,” she began. “We are in a great experiment.”

Dauphinais has seen the stormy side of social media and excessive cellphone usage, such as cyberbullying, eating disorders, and exposure to inappropriate content.

She has also seen the benefits, such as teens connecting with friends far away, online support groups, and access to others with the same interests.

The key to keeping teens safe online, Dauphinais says, is to teach them how to find a balance between their phones and other parts of their lives. She advised parents to model balanced use of their cellphones.

Dauphinais drew a comparison to cars, which cause many fatalities but also provide many benefits. “The answer is not to eliminate phones, but like airbags and seat belts, we need ways to make cellphones safer,” she explained. 

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The post What teens in Naples really think about the time spent on cellphones and social media appeared first on SWFL Family.

The images are disturbing, and so are the stories: stories of death and destruction, stories of a terrorist group going on a brutal attack, killing and kidnapping, or stories of Russia invading its neighbor.

“It is devastating. People are losing their lives, and some people don’t have places to go,” said Veronica Trinidad, 14, a student at Aubrey Rogers High School in Naples.

Then there also is all of the misinformation. A national survey of Generation Z teenagers showed that 52% of teens get daily news from social media. Images of war fill their screens as they scroll through an avalanche of information. Another study by the Anti-Defamation League showed up to 70% of participants reported seeing misinformation on social media.

This can make it confusing and scary for children and teenagers.

Collier County mom Jamye McIntyre, who is Jewish, makes a point of helping her twin 14-year-old boys understand what is going on in the world and feel safe amidst the violence. 

“We are very upfront,” said McIntyre. “I try not to hide things from them because they are going to hear about it. I would rather they get my accurate version than what they hear at school. They know what is going on,” McIntyre said. “They see what is on the news.”

Her sons, who did not want their names to be used, agree that they are very aware of the violence. “A lot of people have died, and it is a major problem,” one said. “It is getting out of hand, [with] the protests and the violence,” his twin added.

At Aubrey Rogers High School, students in the AICE General Paper class watch CNN10 almost daily and discuss the issues.

“We are learning about how Israel is fighting in the Gaza Strip, and people are having to evacuate and hospitals are getting blown up,” Veronica said. “We heard a kid got his head blown off. I didn’t want to see that. It’s bad.”

Like Larry Olmedo, 16, other students get most of their news from TikTok.

“I am seeing videos of explosions and villages getting destroyed and families being torn apart,” Larry said. “Before we saw how the Ukraine army was outnumbered by the Russians, and we thought the Ukrainians would lose the war. I just hope it gets resolved.”

Educational Approaches and Managing Exposure 

Maria Ellis, mental health coordinator for Collier County Public Schools, agrees that making children feel safe while also understanding what is happening is important. 

What details parents should discuss with their children depends on the child’s age and personality. Ellis suggests watching a child’s reactions and monitoring anxiety levels.

“For the younger kids, avoid having any kind of conversation about war before bedtime,” she stressed. “Give them some time to process it before their little brains go into dream mode. With the younger kids, let their questions guide you. Our goal is to separate the real from the imagined fear. When providing facts to the younger kids, they should be brief and factual. Always validate their feelings.”

Ellis said with younger children, the focus should be on reassuring them that they are safe.

“Highlight the people that are trying to help, the people that are doing the right things,” she explained.

The discussions are different with middle and high school students.

“With the older kids, it will be more complex and involved,” Ellis said.

“More mature kids might focus on the politics surrounding the war. It is really important in this type of situation to limit the exposure. It can make it feel like it is unsafe everywhere.”

Rick Duggan, executive director of exceptional education and student support services for CCPS, agreed that monitoring and controlling the amount of exposure is important.

“Some people have MSNBC or Fox News just running in the background all day, and that is probably not the best idea,” he said. 

Understanding and Supporting Children of Different Ages 

Rabbi Ariel Boxman, director of lifelong learning at Temple Shalom in Naples and director of Temple Shalom Preschool, believes that with little children, the best action is to avoid the terrors of war.

“It just doesn’t fit into their world,” she said. “We are suggesting they avoid it as much as they can.”

With little ones, that can be as simple as not having the news on and not talking about it when children are present. But Boxman knows that is not always possible, especially with older children and teens.

“They are not going to be able to shield their kids,” she added.

Boxman believes that the older students attending Temple Shalom’s religious school understand that there is a war in Israel and that there is a terrorist group that began the conflict and is perpetuating it. “We explained that Israel is simply defending herself and working tirelessly to retrieve the hostages. We were careful not to discuss the torture, rape, or mutilation,” she points out. 

“The message I am sharing with them is that what happened on October 7th is from a terrorist group, not from the Palestinians. Reinforce that there are many good people, and [the terrorists are] people who have a lot of hate in their hearts,” Boxman explained.

She said Temple Shalom messaged their families that they refrain from using TikTok. “It is ideal to avoid it completely, but when a child comes across it, it has to be addressed,” Boxman noted. 

She also stressed the importance of allowing children to discuss what is happening in the war openly. “Let the children share what they are feeling, what they saw. Just let them speak. What we might think they are feeling might not be what they are feeling.” Boxman said.

Personal Stories 

Because they have family in Israel, Rabbi Boxman has to carefully guide her children as well. “We explained that there were some people in Israel who made the choice to use violence rather than use their words. By doing so, a lot of people got hurt, and so many people are sad.”

In November, Boxman’s husband, Asher Saida, took 19 duffel bags of requested supplies gathered by the Naples Jewish community to his home country. “When Asher left for Israel, we told [our children] that he was going to help protect the people of Israel and teach the importance of using words to get what we want, rather than violence.”

Temple Shalom’s Rabbi Adam Miller also traveled to Israel in November. Miller’s wife, Jennifer Siegal-Miller, said her children were nervous about the trip. “We told the boys that he was going and that he was going to be safe and that he was going to visit people who were mourning and injured,” Siegal-Miller said. “We explained that it’s what Jewish people do when somebody is hurt and lonely and sad: we go, and we are with them.”

The post Navigating Global Turmoil: Strategies for Guiding Children Through Disturbing News appeared first on SWFL Family.

I did a brief inventory of my own group membership and found over 38 groups that had the word mom, family, or parent in the title. I belong to the groups I administrate for Neapolitan Family, plus some based on local mom interests, parents of students at Florida State University, University of Florida, and parents of students at both FSU and UF. Parents of Greeks, parents of pre-law, parents of study abroad, parents who belong to my same religion, and parents that have children with a disease in common.

There seems to be a Facebook group for every kind of parent of every kind of family. Launched in 2010, nearly six years after the inception of Facebook, groups can be public, private, or secret, and members can be accepted, denied, and blocked by the administrators and moderators. Even though most groups now offer the anonymous post option to maintain a safe space for the members, nothing on Facebook is ever 100% private.

In the pandemic era, communicating in groups became an even more important way for moms to stay connected. And, in response to difficulties brought on by the pandemic and the recent catastrophic hurricane, some groups began to offer financial support and donations to struggling moms, and even staged a few middle of the night escapes to women suffering from domestic abuse.

I spoke to several local moms’ groups, and one created just for dads, about the evolution of their groups and how they became such a powerful source of support in our community.

Naples Moms 2.0: 21,100 members

The Naples Moms Group (2.0) was founded in 2018 by Naples Realtor Judy Huntley. She created the group the same day that the original Naples Moms Group was archived without warning. Because of the size of the group, Judy relies on moderators Nadine Eubanks and Renee Kirnon to monitor posts and approve new members. The group is made up of new and seasoned moms, grandmothers, and moms-to-be.

The most popular topics are not surprising: baby weaning, breast feeding, general parenting, marriage troubles, and searching for babysitters, photographers, day care, and health care providers. Not surprisingly, off-limit topics included politics and opinions about circumcision and vaccines.

There are sub groups for more specific conversations such as Naples Moms Marketplace for members to sell their personal items or to advertise their businesses, Naples Moms Virtual/Homeschooling Co-Op, Naples Moms Newcomers, as well as their own neighborhood page, Golden Gate Estates Neighbors: Advice, Tips & News.

The group also has hosted an annual holiday bazaar event, complete with mom-owned business vendors, entertainment, and food trucks.

Harnessing help beyond advice became a huge focus of the group in recent years. “During COVID, we paid rents and utilities and brought groceries to our fellow moms in need who found themselves suddenly without income,” Huntley told us. “We mobilized again after Hurricane Ian as we filled our members’ trunks with donated goods and brought them directly to the hardest hit areas in both Naples and Fort Myers, offering hope, water, ice, diapers, and even insulin. We fed an entire apartment complex of kids that hadn’t had power in weeks with a huge pizza party and brought loads of diapers and wipes.”

In addition to recent crises, the group raises thousands of dollars each Christmas and sends that money to surprise dozens of families who needed a little miracle. They also have helped pediatric cancer patients go on Disney trips, and delivered a carload of gifts, goods, and gift cards to a secret women’s shelter in Immokalee.

“We have a secret side group of women who have the resources to move mountains, and I can reach out to them with the bigger tasks,” Huntley says.

“One time, a group member submitted an anonymous post about needing a bus ticket out of here to get to family and away from an abuser,” she reflects. “My daughter and I drove straight over and brought them to The Shelter Naples. We ended up caring for her daughter briefly while she worked and got on her feet. I am happy and proud to say that today she is doing amazing, is employed, has her own place, and is getting married to a wonderful man. I am so proud to know her.”

Huntley says helping women who need to leave abusive relationships and start over has been some of the most “meaningful moments of my life.”

The Real Moms of Naples: 13,000 members

Around the same time Naples Moms 2.0 was created, another local mom and Realtor, Karly Carballea, created her own group. The Real Moms of Naples also is made up of all kinds of moms and caregivers who often belong to both groups to increase their crowdsourcing of information and opinions. For that reason, Carballea recently changed the name from Moms of Naples to The Real Moms of Naples so people would not get confused as to which group they were posting in. The topics are similar to the other mom groups but, according to Carbella, no subject is off limits as long as the conversation remains kind and respectful.

Carballea plans a monthly event that any member can attend so that they can meet other moms in real life and become friends, while patronizing the small, local businesses that often struggled during the pandemic and recent hurricanes. She also has planned volunteer events for local nonprofits such as Beverly’s Angels and Salvation Army, including a pop-up shop where families could select necessities from donated items. She currently is working on a project that will include a quarterly nonprofit event.

Naples Moms of Tweens and Teens (MOTTS): 1,118 members

This group was created by three moms because the local social media groups available in our area in 2019 were geared toward moms of infants, toddlers, and younger elementary-age children. “Parenting tweens and teens introduces daily challenges and practices in patience,” moderator Jennifer Stoneburner explains. “This group has developed a relaxed environment where moms understand that they are not alone in riding the roller coaster of parenting adolescents and budding adults.”

Stoneburner says that the best thing about the group is that the moms do not judge, and instead find ways to support, understand, and sympathize with one another.

She says the most popular posts are those that shine a humorous light on this chapter in our journey. Off-limit topics include religion, politics, and hate speech.

The group hosts a MOTTS Night Out the first week each month at a locally owned establishment, in addition to occasional daytime coffee meet-ups. “Personally, it has been amazing to observe the fellowship and the camaraderie among a group of like-minded women,” Stoneburner says. “Friendships have been forged in these monthly meet-ups, and that is what it is all about.”

The Posh Mama Club of Naples: 118 members

Moms who trend toward a more glamorous lifestyle, or who aspire to, will find like-minded mamas in The Posh Mama Club of Naples. Founded by Emely Darby, a former corporate social responsibility and public relations director, the club was created to become a safe haven for fashion-forward mothers who want a little bit of glitz and glam in between the tantrums, diaper changes, and chaos. 

TPMC focuses on the mothers’ morale through fashion expression, networking, empowerment, and fun, Darby says. She is proud that this is a diverse group of like-minded current/former entrepreneurs, educators, attorneys, brokers, physicians, and stay-at-home mamas who share a passion for fashion, beauty, and staying active within the community.

Darby says that the most popular group topics are self-identity, empowerment, latest trends, business goals, self-reflection, and the next brunch or happy hour spot, with the goal of creating “genuine friendships with women who feel the same and creating a safe space away from conflict.”

The group hosts at least four private socials per month, plus a book club and a Posh Kids social.

TPMC hosts an annual “PoshGiving” to benefit The Shelter for Abused Women and Children, and has collaborated with Cancer Alliance of Naples, Humane Society, Make-A-Wish, Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation South Gulf Coast Chapter. 

Dads of Naples: 202 members

Are there any Facebook groups just for local dads? We found one. Dads of Naples is moderated by Jay Weitzner, who owns Symmetry Exercise Clinic in Naples. The group was created for dads to have a place to connect and have a “dad-perspective” of events, topics, and things to do in general. While the group does not have as many members as the moms’ groups, Weitzner plans to host live events to build the group, which he says is diverse in every way, including, politically, professionally, and economically, but “it’s no Reddit,” he jokes.

We regret that Karly Carbellea’s name was misspelled in the May issue.

The post Naples Moms (and Dads!) Find Community in local Facebook Parent Groups appeared first on SWFL Family.

“It happened right in the bathroom of their own home,” said Sgt. Wade Williams of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office Special Crimes Bureau and Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force. Parents “would not let a person off the street into their home, but they do [exactly that] when they let a child have a device without any restrictions.”

Williams said he has seen local children as young as 6 become a victim online. “Younger kids are not able to command operation of social media, but they [are able to] post videos on YouTube,” he explained.

For tweens, Williams tells the story of an 11-year-old from Naples who was befriended by an adult man in Missouri, who wanted her to travel by bus to meet him. Fortunately, he was identified and caught before the girl left Naples. Williams has story after story like these of Collier County children, and says it all begins at home. “The number one place of self-produced videos by the child is in the safety of their [own] bedroom or bathroom,” he said.

Children becoming social media victims goes beyond predators stalking the internet. Williams said the most significant threat can be a child’s peers who gain access to videos or photos and post them or bully the victim with the threat of posting something.

Three Things Parents Can Do

While this is alarming for any parent, there are steps you can take to keep your kid safe. According to Williams, the most effective actions a parent can take are:

• Prohibit all electronic devices in a child’s room at night, or ever in the bathroom. “There is no reason a child needs a device at 2 a.m. in their bedroom or in the bathroom,” he stressed.

• Set up parental controls on all devices. “Nothing is 100%, but there are parental devices that do a lot. Some of them are free; some of them cost $6 a month.”

• Talk to your kids. “The first conversation should not be on a device, it should be with your kid,” Williams said. “It should be with the parent, not with a predator.”

Digital citizenship

Technology teachers in Collier County Public Schools begin teaching internet safety in kindergarten. “It is to put the foundation in place so our students are safe online,” said Lindy George, TSA (teacher on special assignment), digital innovation/STEAM specialist with CCPS. “We try to give them a very well rounded education in digital citizenship.”

Students are taught how to avoid cyberbullying, and how to leave a positive digital footprint. Teachers focus on what is safe to do online, rather than overwhelm students with a multitude of rules about what not to do, George said. Students also are taught how to find reliable websites. “The challenge is [that] there is overwhelming information on the internet. They need to learn what is relevant and accurate,” added Jonathan Woofter, coordinator of professional learning and instructional innovation at CCPS.

Teachers stress the importance of each child’s digital footprint. “Once you put it online, you just can’t delete it,” George said. “What is that persona you want to create online? Don’t post anything you are not proud of.”

In 2019, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received 16.9 million cyber tips on the exploitation of children. That same year CCSO worked hundreds of cyber tips that included suspects exploiting local children. CCSO says many more go unreported. Most child victims are exploited on an electronic device that was provided by their parents, in the safety of their own home – many times when their parents were in the next room. Officers recommend parents check their child’s device, read messages, and view web activity at least once a week.

The experts also offered the following advice for parents to share with your kids:

• Make all accounts private.

• Never meet someone in real life whom you met online.

• Don’t accept any “friends” or followers that you don’t know in real life.

• Never share personal problems online; bad people can use these against you.

• Never share your passwords with anyone, except your parents, even if you think it is one of your friends, as accounts can be hacked.

• Never share personal information such as your birthdate, phone number, school name, or address with anyone online without parental approval.

• Don’t create or send any inappropriate images or videos of yourself; they can be used to threaten or bully you.

• Tell a trusted adult, like a parent, relative, counselor, or police officer, if anything inappropriate happens online, such as things that you think are wrong or that make you feel sad or scared.

CCSO advises that if you believe your child is a victim of internet exploitation, take their devices immediately, prohibit all access to any electronic devices, and immediately make a report to law enforcement.

The post Want to Keep Your Kids Safe Online? Read Our Top 3 Tips. appeared first on SWFL Family.