There’s nothing inherently wrong with allowing your kids to use the Internet, and the sooner they become familiar with being online, searching for things, and sending email, the better. They will enjoy playing and talking with friends, creating social media profiles and doing homework.
Here are 10 ways you can keep your children safe while using the Internet.
1. By keeping your computer in a central location, everyone can see and access it. Why not think about buying a laptop, so you and your kids don’t have to be in different rooms when one of you wants to use the computer?
2. Be there when your child goes online and help them navigate too. Just because he knows exactly how and where to look doesn’t mean they will. Let your kids type in the address and click the links to their favorite websites, or bookmark the sites to make it easier for them.
3. When searching, think about the terms you would use and the terms your children might use. It’s very easy to get completely unexpected or inappropriate results due to a typo or using a word that has two meanings. Why not make use of the parental controls and settings available in web browsers, dedicated software and search engines?
4. Be wary of any medical advice provided by the Internet. Your child may not want to talk to you about puberty or a medical condition, and while there’s nothing wrong with getting help and guidance, the internet can’t accurately diagnose as well as a doctor.
5. Your children should ignore emails from pharmaceutical companies offering various pills and aids to “improve” their health.
6. If your children use social networking sites or instant messaging, be aware of who they are talking to and what they are saying, without being too nosy or interfering.
7. Remind your child to think about privacy and not to mention addresses or schools, or anything else that might identify him to a stranger.
8. Emphasize the importance of using and not sharing passwords and other protections, especially on public computers.
9. Remember to speak nicely to people. When in doubt, if you wouldn’t say it to their face, then don’t write it down. Remember that sarcasm often doesn’t work in an email or instant message, so what was meant jokingly could be seen as rude or insulting.
10. Be prepared to help your children do research for their homework and how to choose reliable and appropriate websites. It can be tempting to copy and paste large chunks of text, but copy and paste is cheating.
Let them explore the wonderful world of the Internet on their own, and encourage them to make friends around the world, visit the websites of their favorite TV shows, or create social bookmarking profiles. Most importantly, let your children have fun online