Internet Safety - No problem I've got that covered!

With today's technological ways of sharing information young children and tweens/teens do not realize that making a casual comment may in fact put them in danger. 

Children have a tendency to post

• their e-mail address
• home address/home town
• cell phone number

Children need to be made aware that with  just this amount of information someone may be able to locate them.  They feel that if the "Talk to a friend" on line then they are their friend. 

 

Parents need to be aware of what sites their children go on.  The safest place for the computer to be with children is in a room where it can be viewed by a parent/guardian or other adult. If they are on a questionable site they can be directed to close that site and find one more suitable for their age.

 

There are certain things as parents that we can do to help make sure that our children stay safe:

 

•  take advantage of strict privacy settings
•  make sure that any pictures or videos that they want to post have your permission to do so
•  do not respond to anyone that request them as friends if they do not know them personally
• remind them that their password is to be shared with no one other then their parents
• keep the lines of communication open so that they know they can come talk to you if they need to
•  do not respond to any unknown friend requests and any request asking for personal information
• they are to understand that under any circumstance they are  NOT to make arrangements to meet up with someone that they have met on line
•  they may need to be reminded that what they put out on the internet stays on the internet even if they delete it off of their computer.

As far as internet safety is concerned there is no substitute for parental involvement!