4 Essential Internet Safety Lessons for Kids
The internet is a beautiful thing. It has the potential to be an incredibly potent educational tool. It also makes it easy for children to discover new interests and hobbies, while also allowing them to stay in touch with friends. While it might seem somewhat alien to many adults, kids today grow up with access to technologies, including smartphones, that we could only dream of as children.
However, the internet can also be a scary and dangerous place, especially for a child who hasn’t adequately prepared for everything that the internet has to offer. Consider the real world, in the real world you would want to know who your children were talking to and where they were hanging out. You should take a similar interest in their online lives.
The following internet safety tips are the most important ones to teach your kids. Make sure that they understand these rules and know them by heart.
When to Tell an Adult
When to Tell an Adult is the most important safety tip of them all. Whenever your children encounter anything online that makes them feel worried or uncomfortable, they need to tell an adult straight away. When to Tell an Adult is also true if someone they don’t know attempts to make contact with them. You don’t have to be specific with your children about what they need to watch out for, just make sure that they understand to come to an adult when they have a problem or feel concerned.
Always Fact Check
Always Fact Check is a lesson that is as important for adults as it is for children. Not everything that children encounter on the internet is right, even though presented in that way. It is essential that children understand that they shouldn’t automatically believe everything that they read online. This guide to fact checking is a great place to start.
What You Post is Permanent
It is hard to accurately convey to children the concept of the things that they say and do online sticking with them for the rest of their lives. It is only recent generations who have grown up in these circumstances. Many people fail to appreciate the potential consequences of their every thought and social media post remaining crystalized online.
An adjunct to this piece of advice is that it is important to make children understand that, just because they might be anonymous and hidden online, they should only ever say things to other people that they would be willing to speak to their face.
Be Careful What You Share
Whether it is information or digital files, it is essential that children understand that there are some things which they should never share with strangers over the internet. If you feel that you don’t know enough about data security to be able to advise your children, have a look at the many guides available on the Secure Data blog. These will help you get up to speed on some different topics relevant to online safety.
The internet has the potential to be a positive force in your children’s lives. However, if they aren’t prepared for how to use it safely, then it can end up causing problems. Be sure to take the time to sit down with your children and teach them about internet safety.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
