Tips for Parents

Star Search Casting offers following tips to begin a dialogue about safe Web practices:

1. Start a Conversation

• Talk to your kids about why they use Star Search Casting, how they communicate with others, and how they represent themselves online. Recognize the importance of social networking in their daily lives, similar to that of cell phones, email, or instant messenger, and express an interest in understanding the role it plays.
• Ask them why they like being online and who they hang out with online. Ask them to show you their friends, what they are listening to, and what interests them within the community.

2. Report Inappropriate Behavior

• Harassment, hate speech, and inappropriate content all violate the Star Search Casting Terms of Use and should be reported. If your kids encounter inappropriate behavior, they should report it to you, the authorities and/or Star Search Casting, as the situation merits. To report a problem, go to the Contact Us link at the bottom of all pages."

3. Talk About Star Search Casting and the Internet

• Star Search Casting, like the rest of the online world, is a public space. Members shouldn't post anything they wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., phone number, address, IM screen name, or specific whereabouts). Tell your teens they should avoid posting anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find them, such as their local hangouts.
• Remind them not to post anything that could embarrass them in the future or expose them to danger. Although Star Search Casting is public, teens sometimes forget that the information and photos they post are accessible to others.
• Consider requiring that all online activity take place in a central area of the home, not in a kid's bedroom. Be aware that there are also ways kids can access the Internet away from home, including on many mobile phones and game players.
• Try to get your kids to share their blogs or online profiles with you. Use search engines and the search tools on social-networking sites to search for your child's full name, phone number and other identifying information.
• Tell your children to trust their gut if they have suspicions. If they feel threatened by someone or uncomfortable because of something online, they should tell you and then report it to the police and SSC.

4. Remind Teens to Be Cautious

• Just as in the offline world, people aren't always who they say they are. Remind your teens to be careful about adding strangers to their friends list. It's fun to connect with new Star Search Casting friends from all over the world, but members should be cautious when communicating with people they don't know.
• Encourage teens to be themselves, but to exercise the same basic safety principles they do in the physical world. They wouldn't chat with a stranger at the mall or give someone they don't know their cell phone number. Remind them that reckless online behavior can be just as dangerous.
• They should talk to you if they want to meet an online friend in person, and if you think it's safe, any meeting should take place in public, with friends or a trusted adult present.
• If someone contacts you and tells you that you will be paid upfront for an acting or modeling job it is a scam!
• Use caution and common sense when replying to messages. Anyone can send you a message, so please use your best judgment to determine its legitimacy. Messages cannot be verified as to accuracy, reliability, or truthfulness. If something doesn't sound legitimate, it probably isn't. If someone is asking you for a registration fee or any money upfront, even if they say they will reimburse you later, please report this to us by clicking "Block Me" on the person who contacted you. Please visit our forums to read about the latest entertainment industry scams.