Basic Internet Safety for Kids

BASIC INTERNET SAFETY FOR KIDS

The internet is an excellent tool for both education and entertainment, but just as in the real world, if precautions are not taken then the internet poses certain dangers to children (and adults alike).  Allowing a child to roam the internet without parental supervision will put your child, your computer, and your personal information all at risk.

 

Remain Involved and Reward Positive Choices.  

Know what your child is accessing online at all times.  Surf the internet with them and become engaged in their online environments, chatrooms, games and get to know their friends.  Be constructive when they stumble upon inappropriate material; instead of punishing them, make it a learning experience instead.  When children make good choices in their online environment, help them expand their experience when appropriate to give them a wider range of sites to browse while online.

 

 

Know the Abilities & Features of Child Protection Software.   

Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) may provide you with built in parental control tools that allow you to control what websites your child has access to, how long your child can be on the internet, and who can contact him.  There are other tools that you can download or purchase that can help you with this as well, but don't forget to talk to your child about what sites are okay and what sites are not because your home is not the only place your child will have access to the internet.

 

Know and Understand the COPPA.

The COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) helps protect your children's privacy.     Enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, COPPA requires websites to get parental consent before collecting or sharing information from children who are under 13 years old.  Many social network sites like Facebook require that a person be at least 13 years old to sign up because of this, so be certain your child under the age of 13 is not participating in these sort of websites.

 

Review Privacy Settings. 

If your child is over 13 years old, be certain you go over the privacy settings of social networking sites with them.  Decide with them what settings provide the appropriate amount of protection for your children.

 

Teach Critical Thinking and Implications. 

Everything that is posted on the internet is public and not only that, it remains public forever.  Once you have posted it, even if you erase it at some point, it can still have been copied and sent somewhere else.  Always teach your children to think carefully before posting anything on the internet as it can have ramifications on their future prospects as well as their friendships and reputation.  

 

Stress the Importance of Respect Online. 

Tell children to be good friends on the internet by respecting the privacy of friends and family and not sharing anything that might be considered embarrassing or hurtful.  Remind them that bullying is not okay, even on the internet, and that their words will still hurt others just as much in the digital world as they would face to face.  You can learn more about Cyberbullying on this page.

 

Additional Ways to Keep Your Children Safe. 

Visit staysafeonline.org for more tips on how to keep your children safe while browsing the internet.

 

View this BrainPOP video for more information about internet safety. (Requires LE Login to view.)

 

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