7 Internet Safety Tips for Teens: Parents Educate Them About Online Safety (Overig)

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April 18, 2012 By Deanna Leave a Comment
Parents of teenagers… this one’s for you! I have quite some time before my kids hit their teenage years.

There is no doubt that your teenage son or daughter is online, it is 2012 for goodness sakes! I’d like to believe that internet use is pretty much inevitable. Tweens and teens develop online relationships with peers they do and DO NOT know via the various social media channels available, but do they know how to manage these relationships and keep their safety and positive online reputation? As parents, it’s our job to educate our children on the do’s and don’t's on the internet. There are too many stories of people taking advantage of kids, prevention is the key. Here are a few tips to help teach your teen about social networking and online safety:

Keep private details private – This goes for any personal information, including your address, phone number, social security number, account numbers, passwords, etc. You never know who can get ahold of them, once they are online, they are widely available to anyone and everyone.

Become an outsider looking in – Try this before posting anything online. Take a step back, review and and ask yourself, ”Is it appropriate? Would I care if my parents saw it? Would it affect me negatively now or in the future? Also, look at other raunchy and profane things that someone you know has posted, what opinions did you form about them? Chances are, people will look at you the same way.

Always use common sense – and ask an adult you trust if you really can’t decide (truth is, some kids are afraid to go to their parents). See, people aren’t always who they say they are behind that good ol’ computer screen. I personally believe teens should only befriend people online that you already know in real life.

Don’t believe everything you see and read on the internet – Anyone can write anything these days, heck, I could tell you all that the sky is lime green and that cows fly. Does that make it true? Don’t let people hoax you into believing anything or make you feel guilty for anything. It’s your online profile.

Know that what you post online is available for the WHOLE WORLD to see - so be smart about what you decide to share.

Hiding something? – It’s probably not right, so you shouldn’t be doing it, whatever ‘IT’ is.

When in doubt, tell your parents – Strange online requests? It’s not that we’re trying to be nosey, but we genuinely care and want to help keep you safe.

Parents: talk with your kids openly about their social networking usage in a casual setting and tone so they don’t think you are prying. Some people have already posted text, photos, or personal information online that they wish they hadn’t. To learn how to remove personal information from the internet, do your best to search and find out what is already out there and delete as much as you can.

http://www.mommygaga.com/2012/04/7-internet-safety-tips-for-teens-parents-educate-them-about-online-safety.html