Socializing is very important for young teens, and they usually get it through online interactions, such as social media sites, chat rooms, and even online games. However, young teenagers often act impulsively; this is because they don’t seem to have that “off” switch in their brains yet. As parents, we should understand the danger lurking in the internet today, and that our kid’s uncontrolled impulse could lead them to danger, such as inappropriate content, photos, or videos, cyberbullying, virus, malware, etc.
Kids are making and leaving digital footprints all over the cyberspace, and most of these things are forwarded by other users in the internet and viewed by anonymous users. These information can be about your kid’s personal life. This is why it’s very important to teach your kids to self-reflect first before they self-reveal to keep their online experiences safe.
If you’re concerned about your kids’ safety online, then you should know how to protect them.
The first thing you can do to keep your teens safe on the internet is to know and understand what they’re actually doing online. Be open to your kids, and tell them what’s appropriate and not appropriate to say to others, what type of content is appropriate for them to read or watch, or download, etc.
Here are some internet safety basics you should always observe: Tell your kids never share full personal information on the internet (full name, age, house and mobile phone number, home address, school, etc.)
Tell your kids to never open and read unsolicited emails. These are emails from strangers, which often contain inappropriate content or viruses that can harm your personal computer.
Tell kids to be open to you incase something creepy or mean happens to them on the internet.
Lastly, make the conversation light and comfortable for your kids. Helping your kids become responsible netizens is the ultimate way to keep them safe online.