Gadget - The Magazine of Personal Technology

MXit guidelines for parents

"You wouldn’t let your child stay over at a friend's house without getting to know the family, so spend some time on MXit so that you understand where your child is interacting," says mobile instant messaging service MXit. In addition to strict security measures for its users, MXit has also developed guidelines to help empower parents. And Gadget has some advice of its own to add.

• Understanding the environment in which your child communicates is of utmost importance, so install MXit.  You wouldn’t let your child stay over at a friends’ house without getting to know the family, so spend some time on MXit so that you understand where your child is interacting.
• Have an open and honest discussion with your child.  Tell them about the potential dangers and ask them to tell you if they ever feel that someone is not who they say they are (teens are switched on to this).
• Allocate the amount of time your child can spend on MXit and use your mobile to monitor this.
• If you notice that your child’s time on MXit suddenly drops, check to see if he / she has a secret phone (it could simply mean that they are out of airtime, but check nevertheless).
• Check your child’s contact list regularly and follow up if with them if there is anyone with whom you don’t feel comfortable.
• Constantly remind your child (every day if you need to) not to hand out their personal information on MXit.
• Tell your child that he / she should never, under any circumstances, agree to a private offline chat with a stranger.
• Help your child understand that they should never forward or post pictures that could cause embarrassment if passed on.
• If your child fails to heed your warnings and advice, simply install the chat room blocking feature.  The educational route is advisable, as children will always find another way to communicate, whether or not on MXit. 

And Gadget’s bottom line advice to parents: MXit is just one of many social networks in which your child can participate. Become familiar with the popular ones, like Facebook and Twitter, and keep in step with both the networks and the activity that occurs on those networks.

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