The use of the internet has streamlined our lives and provided us with the means to easily connect with people across the world, but it has also created an environment that can be unsafe for our children. Here are some tips to keep your kids safe online:
1) Establish ground rules on the use of the internet, including when they can use it and how they use it so they understand what is considered responsible use and what isn't.
2) Before giving your child access to a computer and the internet, ensure that you have set good parental controls to prevent them from finding their way onto sites with inappropriate adult content or from being targeted by ads that could contain malware.
3) Keep your home computer in a central area of your residence with the screen visible to you at all times.
4) Cover your webcam. Except when needed, there really is no need for your children to have access to one. It's not uncommon for criminals to hack into a computers' camera and record with it and the last thing you want is video of your child on the internet.
5) Remind your child to never give out personal information to anyone on the internet, including their name, age, address, school/ teacher's information, parents'/siblings' names or any other information that could identify where they live or can be regularly found.
6) Encourage your children to make their profiles completely private on social media and other apps that promote photo-sharing, or restrict the use of such apps until they are older.
7) Tell your kids to NEVER meet with someone they've met online. Child sexual predators use the internet and social media to lure children away from their parents and then exploit them using fear tactics to keep them quiet.
8) Check-in on them frequently. Familiarize yourself with which sites they need for school work and which apps they use for fun. Check the browser history on the computer frequently and check into any sites that seem out of place. Have conversations with your children about what they have seen online and let them know that if they feel uncomfortable with anything they see or experience online, to talk to you about it.