Background
Kids' lives are online more than ever, from socializing with friends and interacting with family to online learning and education. As parents we want to make sure they do so in a safe and secure manner. However, this is hard as many of us never grew up in such an online environment like this. Below we cover key steps on how you can help kids make the most of online technology safely and securely.
Education / Communication
First and foremost, make sure that you foster good open communication with your children. Far too often parents get caught up in the technology required to block content or what mobile apps are good or bad. No parental control technology is perfect, and some have privacy concerns due to the data they collect. Ultimately this is not a technology problem but a behavior and values problem. Teach your kids to behave online as you would in the real world. A good place to start is to create a list of expectations with your kids. Here are some to consider (these rules should evolve as kids get older):
Times when they can or cannot go online and for how long.
Types of websites and/or games they can access and why they are or are not appropriate.
What information they can share and with whom. Children often do not realize what they post is permanent and public, or that their friends may share their secret with the world.
Who they should report problems to, such as strange pop-ups, scary websites, or if someone online is being creepy or a bully.
Treat others online as they would want to be treated themselves.
People online may not be who they claim to be, and not all information is ..
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