There are many things that you can do to ensure your child’s safety when they are using the Internet. Read our tips below, or see our links to other websites about keeping your kids safe online.
- Learn about it yourself: Talk to your kids about what they like to do on the Internet and go to the sites with them. If they have email or social networking accounts, ask to see their profiles. MySpace and Facebook are examples of social networking sites. These sites allow kids and adults to create personal web pages, post pictures, chat and interact with others online. You should be at least 13 years old to set up a MySpace or Facebook account.
- Know what your children are doing on the Internet: Place your computer in a family area, not behind closed doors, so that you can see what your children are doing online.
- Establish guidelines about safe Internet use. Make sure that your children:
- Don’t invite trouble: Children should choose an appropriate screen name and never use their last name.
- Never give out personal information: Remember that everything children post is available for the whole world to see, including parents and teachers.
- Choose friends wisely: Sometimes people say they are teenagers when they’re NOT. Understand that not everyone is honest about who they really are.
- Teach your children to be critical Internet users:
- If something makes them uncomfortable, they shouldn’t answer back. They should take the person off their buddy/friend list and let a trusted adult know.
- They should never arrange to meet someone that they’ve met on the Internet.
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