The tradition of writing to and receiving mail from Santa at Christmas makes for exciting and wonderful childhood memories. Now with the power of the Internet, both children and Santa can readily communicate online.

Parents and grandparents introduce children to online Santa resources and, just as with all websites, the Better Business Bureau warns parents and grandparents to do their homework before letting children write to or receive letters from Santa this holiday season.

More than 60 domain names are registered in the name of Santa Claus, offering children a wide range of opportunities to email or receive email from Old St. Nick. Sadly, some of the websites aren’t always trustworthy, and can potentially be a dangerous way to share personal information.

Writing to Santa is a long-lasting tradition, and while it seems innocent and fun, it is important for adults to carefully review the site to determine who is seeking the information, how they’ll be using it and whether they’ll be sharing this information with third parties.

According to the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), all websites directed at children - or websites designed with a special children’s section - should have a privacy policy that explains the site’s information collection practices. The privacy policy should include the name of the company and the company’s complete contact information.

It should also state whether the company shares information with third parties, including advertisers, and whether the company publicly discloses the information or retains the information for any future purpose.

Consider the following tips before allowing the private information of your children or grandchildren to end up on the web:

Check to see what it is they want you to hand over. Websites directed at children should not ask for more information than is reasonably necessary to participate in the activity. In this case, a first name and email address is all that should be required.

Limit the personal information Santa obtains about children and omit physical addresses. In many cases, there shouldn’t be a need to share this information. Especially since Santa already knows where all the children live.

Check websites for unwelcome content. Some sites are geared toward adults and may contain language or advertising adults may not want children to see.

Check the links. Since hyperlinks can allow children to move seamlessly from one site to another, investigate the hyperlinks to ensure children don’t access inappropriate content.

Practice cautious common sense when using Santa Mail websites and don’t forget to check privacy policies.

DECEMBER 2011 SENIOR LIVING MAGAZINE VANCOUVER ISLAND
DECEMBER 2011 SENIOR LIVING MAGAZINE VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND