Internet Safety – The holidays are about to begin and your children will very likely spend a lot of time online with multiple devices. Now is a good time to educate or remind them about Internet safety, and to reinforce the need for caution while browsing or posting on social media.

Surfing and Social Media Internet Safety

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 requires that websites aimed at children under 13 must get parental consent. According to the Library of Congress, in the US, three among four children have access to smartphones and social media apps like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Vine and Tumblr. And while they are using these apps, most kids never customize the privacy restrictions on their profiles, and many of them even publicly post their address and/or phone number.

Monitoring children’s online activities can be overwhelming and time consuming, but some basic steps should be taken to ensure their protection. Here are some guidelines for both parents and children.

For parents:

• Educate your children about Internet safety – Include Internet safety and privacy in all “growing up” discussions with your children.
• Follow and be a ‘friend’ on social media – Your children might be reluctant to let you into their virtual world, but get an agreement on this before allowing them to use social media. Having you on their accounts will make them careful about what they post. It will also help you weed out people who may not really be friends. However, keep some distance and avoid stalking them.
• Adjust privacy and parental control settings – This should be done on each device before you let them use it.
• Install monitoring software – There are various software and apps available to track browsing history and block dubious sites from baiting and preying on your children through advertising.
• Make kids anonymous on the Internet – Avoid posting pictures of your children on social media sites and the Internet. If posted by friends and family, un-tag as much as possible. Ask family and friends to seek your consent before they post any pictures of your children.

It is very important that children understand the reasons behind the rules to ensure compliance. So talk about the risks and keep that dialogue going.

For children:

• Protect your passwords – Create strong and unique passwords, and don’t share them with your friends. If you think someone has gained access to your password, change it immediately. Use different passwords for email and social media.
• Select online friends carefully – Do not add anyone as a friend on your social media if you do not know him/her well, and in person. You may be tempted to have more social media friends than others in your peer group, but think carefully before you add people on. Someone doesn’t qualify to be a friend just because you have other friends in common.
• Privacy Settings – Set your privacy settings to “friends only”.
• Every post is permanent – Your social media posts, including pictures, remain on the Internet even after you remove them. Increasingly, social media sites are screened by colleges and employers for admissions and jobs. What you post today could impact your future.
• Be kind and sensitive online – Don’t post anything that might be hurtful to others. Avoid anything that might seem like cyber bullying, which is not just wrong but could also get you into big trouble. A rule to follow is this: if you can’t say it to someone’s face, don’t say it online.

For more information on Internet safety and protecting your child’s privacy, go to:

https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/protecting-childrens-privacy