Like any responsible parent, you have a Facebook account so you can monitor your teenager. Seemed like a proactive idea when you set it up, right?

Guess what? It’s so old hat. Our kids are spending their time online in a lot of other places we need to know about.

“If you’re still concerned about your kids’ Facebook page or even their MySpace page, you’re missing a lot of the sites they’re using,” Janna Wood, a crime prevention specialist with the Shakopee, Minnesota, Police Department, told LifeZette. “It changes almost every day.”

She works with parents and the Shakopee community to help keep kids safe online.

The Washington Post ran an article recently on the AfterSchool app, noting, “Millions of teenagers in high schools nationwide are using a smartphone app to share anonymously their deepest anxieties, secret crushes, vulgar assessments of their classmates and even violent threats, all without adults being able to look in.”

While the sites’ creators confirmed that millions of students do use that app, AfterSchool is just one app of many. Wood said Ask.fm is a far bigger concern in regard to online bullying and inappropriate use among kids within her region. Regardless of which anonymous app it may be — Ask.fm, AfterSchool, or any other — parents should talk about online safety with their kids, she said, and log on themselves.

[lz_related_box id=”6753″]

“When someone can post anonymously, that’s where we see our biggest problems with bullying and inappropriate messaging, usually,” said Wood.

Here are five tips for parents.

1: Create your own accounts. Download and spend some time exploring the sites listed here. YouTube videos can help you understand how these sites function and why kids are using them. While it may be unrealistic for you to be as skilled as your teens on social media platforms, at least learn the basics.

Who do you think would win the Presidency?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

2: Monitor your kids. Make sure your kids know that if you’re footing the bill for their phone or Internet service, you have every right to monitor their online activity. Generate a relationship with your teen that is fluid and free from criticism, or they won’t feel comfortable coming to you when there are issues.

3: Install safety software. Numerous resources can help protect children when you’re not there watching their screens. SelfieCop is a new program that aims to make sure kids are only taking pictures of things they wouldn’t be afraid to put on a billboard. That is a good rule of thumb: If you don’t want it on a billboard, don’t post it, because it stays with you forever, advised Wood.

4: Talk to your kids. Discuss cyberbullying and proper social media etiquette, as well as other areas of trouble, such as sending inappropriate images (sexting). Create a social media contract, of which there are many online. And assure them that if they are having problems and don’t want to talk with you, that they know other resources to check, such as a school resource officer.

5: Get involved. Just as you would know their school activities, know your kids’ online activities. This can be a tough balancing act — respecting your child’s social media privacy — yet also being a parent who cares for their well-being. It’s worth finding the right balance.

Check out these apps and their pros and cons.

[lz_slideshow ids=”96073,96074,96075,96076,96078,96080,96082,96083,96084,96085″ front-image=”96085″]