The internet has changed the way the world works, for both good and bad. The bad revolves around the fact that the internet is a big and scary place with creepers coming out of the woodwork at an alarming rate. It’s easy for a mature adult to find himself or herself in a sticky situation online. This phenomenon increases tenfold when teens begin to find their way in the online world.
By following these trick and tips, you can ensure your teen(s) stay safe online: Teen Online Safety
Time Limits
While technology has done great things for our world, limiting how much time you spend online is important for all of us, not just children. Make sure your child has hobbies and activities off the computer. If all your child enjoys doing is sitting in front of a computer screen chances are they will end up doing things online you may not approve of.
No Technology in Bed
Going hand and hand with the limiting of technology tip, you should make sure your kid(s) never take their technology to sleep with them. Have your kid(s) leave their smartphones, laptops, tablets, and more in the living room or kitchen when they go to sleep. A great way to implement this tip to purchase a multi charging station and place the station in a common area in your home.
Get Their Passwords
Your children need to know nothing online is private. The best way to teach them this lesson is to be the holder of all their passwords. Remind your children that they have no privacy online and you will be checking all their accounts. This doesn’t mean you need to do so often. The threat of an invasion of privacy should be enough to keep most teens online activity crystal clean.
Add your Children on All Social Media
Another way to make sure your child is not posting inappropriate things online is to “add” or “friend” them on all social media. While savvy teens can block you from certain posts, this should provide another buffer to deter anything stupid from being posted by your offspring.
Without the Parents…
A general rule of thumb or guideline you should implement with your children is the “without the parents” rule. Questionable content is everywhere on the internet and kids are curious. There will be situations where a child may want to see something, but will be unsure if seeing the content is appropriate or not. This is where the “without the parents” rule comes in.
The rule states that if a child is unsure if they should be looking at whatever content they are browsing online they should think about looking at the content with a parent in the room. If they still feel comfortable looking at the screen with mom or dad behind them, then the content is fine. If that thought makes this queasy, they need to leave the site.
Avoid Personal Details
Lastly, you will want to make sure your child avoid sharing personal details online. Anything from a full name to discussing a family vacation should not be posted on social media. Criminals are everywhere online and a full name, address, or family vacation posting can lead to a crime being committed against your family.
You must inform your children of the dangers of posting personal information online.