When the pandemic hit, social media became an important outlet for our children to stay connected with friends and doting grandparents.

But more screen time, means more risk, with cyberbullying, phishing attacks and stranger danger lurking almost everywhere online.

Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah, a mother of two, along with her internet safety coordinator, Laura Forbes, recently invited the Turn to Tara team to their offices to sound the alarm about social media dangers.

How to best protect your children? Below are 10 things to do right now:

1. Make sure your children avoid using their full name for their handle.

2. Vet their entire friend list, and remind them to never accept requests from strangers.

3. Set up the security questions and double check they've created strong passwords using special characters. That makes it harder for hackers to crack.

4. Try to change those passwords once a month.

5. Use different passwords for each social media account.

6. Check up on the passwords! Did you know there are several new apps you can use to find out if a password has made its way to the dark web? One example is the Trend Micro ID Security app, which also has a parenta. control option.

7. Take the time to review the privacy settings on your child's account - and limit what info they share publicly. Check often, as settings can often change without warning.

8. Be sure they use the local-sharing features sparingly.

9. Leave the "about me" fields either blank or just put minimal information.

10. Above all else, Rocah says to talk to your children. Teach them to "think before they post."

Another tip, is to avoid sharing things like travel plans and purchases.

Got a problem? You should Turn to Tara. HERE'S HOW.