The online world is where teenagers build friendships and express who they are. But every share and comment adds to a permanent digital record. As they start thinking about university or their first job, that online history becomes an unofficial CV that recruiters will almost certainly look at. For parents and foster carers, the task is to guide a young person in shaping this digital identity into something positive. This is about working with them, not policing them, to prepare them for what comes next.
A Conversation, Not a Confrontation
Your first move should be to show interest, not to find fault. Instead of laying down rules, start a relaxed chat about what they do online. Ask them what sites they like, who they follow, and what they get out of it. When you show you are genuinely interested, you build the trust needed for a more serious talk. For a young person whom you are long term fostering, the internet can be a crucial connection to their network, so handling this conversation with care is essential. The objective is to become a team, helping them see their online activity as a future employer might.
Making Sense of Privacy Settings
A vital concept to get across is what should be public and what ought to remain private. Sit with your teen and look at the privacy settings on their social media accounts together. Explain that even a ‘friends of friends’ setting can expose their content to hundreds, or even thousands, of people. A good test is to imagine anything public is being displayed on a town-centre billboard for everyone to see.
Help them tidy up their public profiles. Is their main photo suitable for a job application? Can any old, cringeworthy posts be deleted? The ‘future boss’ test is a useful tool here: would they be happy for a manager to see this? This question helps them self-regulate, encouraging them to save personal jokes and party pictures for private chats with people they truly trust.
Proactively Building a Positive Profile
Cleaning up an online profile is only half the job. The other half is using the space to build something impressive. Suggest they create a profile on a professional site like LinkedIn. It does not have to be complicated. A basic page listing their school, any part-time jobs, volunteering, or awards like the Duke of Edinburgh is a great start.
This is a chance for them to showcase their genuine interests. If they love art, they could post their drawings. If they are a coding enthusiast, they could share small projects or follow leading tech firms. This kind of activity demonstrates a real passion and drive, two things that universities and employers look for. It turns their online space from a social diary into a professional portfolio.
The overall goal is to give your teen the confidence to manage their own digital reputation. By guiding them to think carefully about what they post and helping them to highlight their strengths, you are equipping them with a vital skill for modern adult life. A well-tended and positive online presence is a genuine advantage, and your support in helping them create it is a practical investment in their future success.
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