Kids today never knew a world without the internet. They communicate by texting and on social media. As adept as even small children are with technology, people who use the internet for illegal purposes are getting even more sophisticated. It is the job of parents to protect their children. When kids are allowed access to social media, it's the parents' responsibility to learn how to stop catfishing online in their own homes.

If your kids are on the internet, and you don't know what an online catfish is, you are making your kids vulnerable to predators. A catfish is someone who creates a false identity with a made up profile and fake photos. Some target unsuspecting kids for sexual purposes. Other times their goal is to manipulate or bully a specific child. Parents can stop this behavior by being diligent.

There are online responsibility lessons that must go along with permission to access the internet. Kids love sharing pictures with their friends on social media, but this may make them vulnerable to catfish. One tactic catfish use is flattery, which over time can turn into trust. Privacy settings can minimize this problem. If others are going to share pictures of your kids, you should make sure they tag the kids so you know about it.

The more a predator can isolate a child online, the easier it is for him to cause damage and get personal information. Parents need to insist that children avoid private conversations. There is safety in group discussions. Predators don't want witnesses to what they are doing or who they are targeting.

In the same way you warn kids against talking to strangers they meet on the street, you have to warn them against internet predators. You have a right to nose around in your kid's online business. You can ask who they are talking to. If you do not recognize a name or photo, you should ask who the individual is without panicking.

There are signs that should make you suspicious about someone who is interacting with your child online. Some catfish set up elaborate profiles, but don't have any other presence on the internet. Their profiles are often fairly new. A catfish might have a lot of friends, but none of them seem to who the person actually is.

One easy way to uncover a catfish is to take his profile picture and download the image into a search engine. If the picture is fake, the image will probably pop up on several sites. Catfish even use images of famous people. If you find out your child is being catfished, you need to block the person immediately.

Social media is a great way for kids and adults to connect with one another. It can also be a dangerous place for those who are too trusting. These are the people catfish target because they are the easiest ones to reel in.