INTERNET SAFETY
Many of us, including our children use computers and the internet at home. The internet opens up a world of information, much of which is good and allows us and our children to learn so much. However, there are precautions which need to be taken.
You should remind your children of the following:
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Online information is usually not private. |
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People are not always honest about who they are online. |
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Anyone can put anything online. |
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Not everything online is truthful. |
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There is pornographic, obscene, violent and racist material on the internet, which may pop up unexpectedly. |
There are rules you should set regarding computer/internet usage with your children. These involve setting time limits, both for safety reasons and to prevent the computer from taking place of homework and time with friends and family and other activities, such as sports or other organized activities. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 2 hours of TV/computer in a day. The other rules involve safety, such as:
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Never give out personal information unless approved by a parent |
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Don’t share passwords with anyone. |
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Don’t ever meet with someone you have met from an online relationship. |
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Don’t respond to messages that make you feel uncomfortable. You should ignore those messages and tell a parent. |
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Don’t email or upload cell phone photos or other personal photos. |
Other ways that you can help create a safe internet environment are:
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Sit with your young children and “Surf” the internet with them. |
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Have your computer in a room where you will also be, never in a room where your child will be alone, especially with the door closed. |
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Use tracking software and filtering software (in addition to direct supervision). |
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Know what the internet policies are at your child’s school and at the library. |
Your children should also behave online. They shouldn’t send mean messages, use the internet to make someone look bad or plagiarize.