Internet

Internet Safety

Kids & Teens

  • Be aware that information you give out through social networking sites, instant messages, e-mails, and blogs could put you at risk of bullying and other types of victimization.
  • If you wouldn’t say something to another person’s face, don’t post it online!
  • Never give out your password to anyone other than your parent or guardian.
  • Never meet in person with anyone you first “met” online. Some people may not be who they say they are.
  • Never post your personal information, such as a cell phone number, address, or the name of your school.
  • Never respond to harassing or rude texts, messages, and e-mails. Delete any unwanted messages or friends who continuously leave inappropriate comments.
  • Remember that posting information about your friends could put them at risk.
  • Only add people as friends to your site if you know them in real life.
  • Think before posting your photos. Do Not post or send semi-nude or nude pictures of yourself or anyone else! Personal photos should not have revealing information such as school names or location.
  • Use the privacy settings of the social networking sites.

Parents & Guardians

  • Discuss digital citizenship with your child: if you wouldn’t say it in person, don’t post it online!
  • Enable Internet filtering features if they are available from your Internet Service Provider.
  • Encourage the use of privacy options on all social networking sites.
  • Enter into a safe-computing contract with your child about his or her use of these sites and computer use in general.
  • Install monitoring software or keystroke capture devices on your family computer that will help monitor your child’s Internet activity.
  • Know each of your child’s passwords.
  • Know what other access your child has to computers and devices like cell phones and tablets.
  • Monitor what your child’s friends are posting regarding your child’s identity.
  • Openly discuss all aspects of the Internet with your child as they age. Discuss Both the positive and the negatives. Help them to think critically about their actions online.
  • Often children and their friends have accounts linked to one another, so it’s not just your child’s profile and information you need to worry about.
  • Place the computer in a family area of the household and do not permit private usage.