Parent and Child Safety > Internet Safety Tips
Internet Safety TipsRemember that people online may not be who they seem. Because you can't see or even hear the person, it would be easy for someone to misrepresent him or herself. Thus, someone indicating that ‘she’ is a ‘twelve-year-old girl’ could in reality be a forty-year-old man. Remember that everything you read online may not be true. Any offer that's too good to be true probably is. Be very careful about any offers that involve your coming to a meeting or having someone visit your house. Set reasonable rules and guidelines for computer use by your children (see «Kids: Rules for Online Safety»). Discuss these rules and post them near the computer as a reminder. Remember to monitor their compliance with these rules, especially when it comes to the amount of time your children spend on the computer. A child or teenager's excessive use of online services or bulletin boards, especially late at night, may be a clue that there is a potential problem. Remember that personal computers and online services should not be used as electronic babysitters. Be sure to make this a family activity. Consider keeping the computer in a family room rather than the child's bedroom. Get to know their «online friends» just as you get to know all of their other friends. Read Kimberley's Story for one child's story about internet safety.Last Modified: Tuesday, June 09, 2009
|