Online Safety Matters

Just as we teach them to look both ways before crossing the street, teaching children about safety during online meetings is critical for their well-being. In this article, we’ll explore practical strategies for educators and parents to educate children about online meeting safety.

What Can Kids Do On Meetn®?

While kids under the age of 18 are not permitted to have their own Meetn® accounts, Meetn® is used by many schools for remote and hybrid learning. Teachers can create engaging digital lessons via Meetn®, and let their students catch up on missed lessons through interactive replays. Although schools or parents may choose to share recordings, interactions on Meetn® are not publicly searchable. 

While Meetn® can be used for social media streaming, it is not a social media platform. Our platform does not have public text feeds or posts, and does not use algorithms to show you content. However, if you allow streaming from Meetn® to social media sites, content may become searchable on third-party sites. To lockdown streaming to third-party sites on Meetn®, contact support.

Help Prevent Abuse

Whether your child uses Meetn® or any other internet-based meeting tool, it’s important to talk with them about online safety and information security. Parents and educators should teach kids how to identify online safety risks, and what they should do if something happens.  

When educators set up meetings that will include children, it’s important that everyone understands the features available to help secure these sessions. A few of those features include:

• Waiting Room: The Meetn® Waiting Room is turned on by default. It acts like a virtual bouncer, letting a meeting host decide who’s allowed into a meeting. 
• Mute Participants: Hosts can mute/unmute individual participants or all of them at once. Hosts can block unwanted, distracting, or inappropriate noise from other participants, and can also enable “Mute Upon Entry” to keep the clamor at bay in large meetings.
• Kick Participants: If someone is being disruptive or acting inappropriately, a host can “Kick” the participant to eject them from the meeting and even block them permanently.
• Add a Password: It’s always smart to lock the front door. Hosts can lock a Meetn® by creating a one-time or permanent passcode, creating an additional layer of security for their events.
• Lockdown Participants: Hosts can limit participant activity using the Webinar Settings in Meetn®. These settings limit participant audio, video, chat, screen sharing, and Widget controls, to reduce the opportunity for interruptions or abuse.
• Hide Participant Details: Meetn® allows users to protect privacy by hiding participant names, hiding the attendee list, and disabling chat.
• Report Abuse: You can report abuse to the Meetn® Support team within a meeting using the “Report a Problem” button on the top toolbar or via email at any time.

We Are Safer Together

Teaching children about safety during online meetings is a responsibility that falls upon educators, parents, and caregivers alike. By fostering open communication, setting clear guidelines, and empowering children with the knowledge to recognize and respond to potential risks, we can create safer digital spaces for our youngest participants. Remember, in the vast landscape of the internet, our guidance and vigilance serve as the compass that guides children towards safe and meaningful interactions online.

Let’s continue to prioritize their digital well-being, ensuring that they can navigate the virtual world with confidence and resilience. Check out our other articles for more advice on specific industries and use cases.