Social Media Safety for Parents and Kids | POF85

Parenting Our Future - A podcast by Robbin McManne

I say it all the time that in this digital era we live in, parents are the pioneers in navigating this foreign terrain.  Some days it’s enough to make you head spin.  What we know for sure, as parents, we can’t stick our heads in the sand and not pay attention to what  our kids are exposed to. Every time your child logs onto social media they are at risk from a number of social media-related dangers like cyberbullying, depression and suicide, hate speech, sexting, and human trafficking, to name just a few.  And many children are averaging over 5 hours a day on social media! My guests, Mark Berkman and Ed Peisner are from the Organization for Social Media Safety.  Ed, the founder  of the Organization and was thrust into action on this issue after his son was severely injured in a violent social media attack.  Together with Mark, the Organization’s CEO, they are now assisting others in helping parents understand the world of social media and how to keep their kids safe.   In this episode, Ed Peisner, Mark Berkman and I talk about The dangers of social media The three things to help keep kids safe – Conversation, rules and practical phone settings How to set up guardrails for your kids online without conflict What parents need to know and what they don’t (like knowing all the ins and outs of each app)   For a FREE copy of their course , “Buckling the Social Media Seatbelt” use the link below.  In this course, parents can learn -- for the first time in one place -- a comprehensive system to keep their child safe on social media.  During the course you will learn from the experts in social media safety -- what social media safety conversations to have with your child, what safety rules to set, and how to calibrate the settings for your devices and social media apps." https://courses.ofsms.org/courses/the-buckling-the-social-media-seatbelt-supercourse   About Mark Berkman and Ed Peisner Marc Berkman: Marc serves as the CEO of the Organization for Social Media Safety, which he has grown into a prominent national consumer protection organization that protects against all social media-related dangers like cyberbullying, hate speech, and human trafficking.  Under his leadership, the Organization for Social Media Safety has taught social media safety skills to thousands of students, parents, and educators across the country; passed into law essential social media safety legislation like Jordan's Law, the nation's first law to deter social media-motivated violence; and helped develop software and apps to protect against social media-related dangers. Previously, Marc served for over a decade as a senior advisor to members of Congress and the California State Assembly. During his time as a legislative aide, he developed and helped pass numerous legislative initiatives to protect vulnerable children and families.  Marc received his JD from Columbia Law School and his BA from UC Berkeley. He lives with his wife and two children in Los Angeles, CA.    Ed Peisner: After his family suffered a social media-related tragedy in 2016, Ed Peisner decided to dedicate himself to the goal of ensuring that no other family had to endure such a terrible ordeal.  So, after a long career in business, Ed founded the Organization for Social Media Safety.  Currently, he serves as the National Education Director for the Organization for Social Media Safety and travels the country teaching students, parents, and educators how to stay safe on social media.  Ed has been featured in numerous publications and television programs including the New York Times, the Doctors, and the Washington Post.  He lives in Los Angeles, CA with his three children. Visit, The Organization for Social Media Safety, for helpful information: