Ask.fm is a question asking and answering service that gives people the opportunity to ask and answer controversial questions totally anonymously. The answers can be either in text or video format, and users can also browse other people's profiles with the option of submitting questions directly to them. The service is very easy to use -- you can pose a question to one particular person or to all users, or you can answer any question that comes up on your feed.

 

What parents need to know...

 

• Discuss the role of anonymous questions on ASKfm and whether your teen should set their account to accept questions anonymously.

 

• Familiarize yourself with the ASKfm blocking and reporting tools. Discuss your expectations with your teen and make sure they understand the procedures on how to delete inappropriate content and block other users.

 

• Remind your teen that they are not obligated to answer a question if they are not comfortable. Unanswered questions can be blocked, reported, deleted or just ignored. Regardless, unanswered questions are private and not published on your teen’s profile page or in the Stream.

 

• Discuss the legal implications of posting threatening or sexualized content online.

 

• Describe phishing scams and review techniques for verifying the authenticity of information. Be aware of sites that claim to reveal anonymous users – they are trying to trick your teen into revealing private information or downloading malicious software.

 

• Talk about the friends your teen is making online and explore how those relationships can be maintained in a healthy and safe manner.

 

• Understand the threat of cyberbullying.  Words create lasting impressions, and the hurt from cyberbullying is real and can feel almost impossible to escape. Create a zero tolerance policy when it comes to threatening, harassing, or disrespectful behavior online and get help immediately if your teen is dealing with cyberbullying.