Summer is quickly approaching and kids are looking forward to being out of school, which typically means staying up late playing their media and games and sleeping in every morning. Fun times and less school homework to worry about, but more concern for parents when kids have more online time available to them.
As we always discuss in our tech corner, the internet can be a great place for kids and they can search and learn anything they want, literally at their fingertips. However, parents should stay diligent and in the know as to the harms of the internet when it comes to social media, websites, and gaming.
Not everyone at the other end of the computer has good intentions and the risk and harm on kids being targeted continues to rise. The online threats are real and it’s time to teach our kids proper cyber awareness and online safety precautions. Parents should be involved in their children’s online presence and aware of where they go, and what they do, while on the internet. It’s not always about over-policing them, but more about being aware and protective whenever possible. Of course, this is not a teaching lesson on parenting, this is simply a lesson about online safety.
Here is a list from Yale University of age-appropriate tips and discussions:
Elementary School Age
- Ask your little ones what they’ve learned about online safety at school
- Review helpful resources about online safety
- Discuss the idea that “online is forever”
Middle and High School Age
- Reinforce the importance of online privacy
- Talk about the consequences of over-sharing
- Help build healthy skepticism. Encourage your kids to question if what they see and read online is true. If someone posts a profile on social media, is it really that person?
College Age
- Talk about ramifications of over-sharing information and the impact on their online reputation
- Reinforce safe online habits like robust passwords, applying regular updates, and backing up data
- Discuss device safety. Young people are easily distracted. Emphasize vigilance to avoid mobile device theft.
Reference:
https://cybersecurity.yale.edu/newsletter/summer2022/bee-know-online-safety-kids
