Internet Safety

Supposedly the techno-savvy younger generation is educating their elders about internet security, but the techno-savvy generation seems to make mistakes...

You hear that prospective employees and college counselors and whoever may be important to your future is able to look at your MySpace and Facebook pages to get an idea (realistic or not) about your personality and work ethics.

So why aren't you cleaning up your pages? So what if it's someone else posting those dirty jokes and questionable pictures. Take a gander, then delete it. And what is it with all these pictures of people holding glasses and cups, doing gang signs, and making faces? If you are getting your picture taken, whether at a bar or at a wedding, put that glass down!!

Okay, now what about your kids?

1) Keep the computer in a common area. (Your kids should just assume that you can look over their shoulders at any time, and they should be able to look over yours...)
2) Monitor your child's activity online.
3) Install and use parent-control software to limit access. You might like to know what kind of access their friends have.
4) Know who their online friends are.
5) Disable the webcam.
6) Don't give a child a cell phone with a camera and Internet access.
7) Educate your child about online hazards.
   a) Once online, an embarrassing photo or message cannot be reversed, and may become public.
   b) Predators can find you online, on social networks, chat rooms, and gaming sites.
8) Set rules:
   a) Never give out full name, address, city of residence, phone numbers, name or location of school, or age to anyone. If "Grandma" wants that information, she should be asking the parent. (I.e., it may not be "Grandma" who is asking.)
   b) Never post or upload (or download) anything online that they wouldn't want to be seen on the front page of the newspaper.
   c) Never send pictures of themselves online to people they don't know.
   d) Never respond to (or initiate in anger) any messages that are belligerent, harassing, obscene, or
       suggestive.
   e) Never meet face-to-face with someone they meet online.
9) Encourage civil behavior. Be nice, or if you can't think of anything nice to say, say nothing at all. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
10) Encourage critical thinking. Don't believe everything you see on the internet. Be wary of strangers and their offer of money, gifts, etc.