While there are unique safety challenges specific to each form of technology, service, and app, here are ten general practices to support online safety.- Keep your computer or tablet in a high-traffic area.
- Limit the sites your kids are allowed to visit, and for how long.
- Spend time with your children online and invite them to show you sites and activities they enjoy, including chat rooms and social networking.
- Don’t allow children to take their phones and tablets into the bedroom overnight.
- Resist the urge to purchase external web cams.
- Get to know your children’s online friends just as you would their in-person friends.
- Let children know that they have to “friend” you as a condition of using social media.
- Teach children not to share personal information (birth date, phone #, address, passwords)
- Ask your child to a sign “Safe Use” agreement – and don’t hesitate to revoke privileges if the “Safe Use” agreement is broken.
- Talk with other parents about your online safety practices and setting limits when kids are using devices together on play dates.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Please share this post.
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