Black Friday & Cyber Monday Special — Kids Edition

With Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, many of us are already starting to plan out purchases. This is a great time for families to find great deals on holiday presents for kids.

But Stay away from Trouble in Cyberspace Toyland!

Keeping Kids Safe in Cyber Space

Be Proactive

• Know who your child interacts with : Be aware of who your children hang out with in person and online. Talk with your kids about online relationships and “netiquette”. Discuss issues such as cyberbullying and how in-person friendships may look a bit different in the digital world. Someone could be more confident or meaner online, for example. Discuss strategies on how to deal with someone who is unkind. Maintain an open-door policy for your children to talk to you.
• Blocking sites : Don’t let your kids stumble upon violence, porn, and or other content you don’t want them to see. A common approach is to turn on Google Safe-Search.

Stay Involved

Staying involved means different things, depending on your child’s age and needs. It’s a good idea for parents of younger children to use the Internet with them, keep a close eye on the sites they like to visit, and monitor the apps they use on the phone. This way, you can point out certain concerns if they arise.

Involvement doesn’t necessarily take the form of installing tracking software or parental controls. In fact, older children may feel like their privacy is being violated. They’ll search for ways around your restrictions. Maintaining open lines of communication is the way to go.

Know & Enforce Age-Appropriate Online Experiences

Kids’ online access and experiences should differ depending on their ages. For example, children younger than 10 need relatively close supervision while they are online. Most don’t have the judgment yet to use social media wisely. If your children flock to the newest sensation, check it out. It may be easier (and wiser) to open a shared account rather than flat-out prohibiting access. That’s a recipe for children to go behind your back.

Gradually increase permissions as children get older. Encourage open communication to make the teen years a lot easier.

Teach Your Children Early about Privacy

Children are growing up with social media and smart devices at their fingertips. They immerse themselves in various screens, including TVs, smartphones, tablets, laptops, game consoles, Kindles, and Leap-Pads. It can be hard to control your child’s smart device exposure, but it’s never too early to educate them on safety. Tips include these:

• Do not give out personal information to people online, whether they’re strangers or loved ones. For one thing, “Grandma” might not really be Grandma. She could be an imposter halfway across the world. For another thing, there’s never a valid reason anyone needs your child’s (or your family’s) Netflix password, bank account number, or other sensitive information. Even beloved Uncle Charlie doesn’t need to know your child’s Social Security number. Encourage your children to tell you when people request information. Explain that you’ll call loved ones yourself and follow up on these threads.
• Restrict information shared on social media. This tip loops back to the one above. Identity thieves and cybercriminals gobble up any morsel they can get, including pets’ names, birthdays, and location check-ins. It helps a lot if you follow by example. Limit your own sharing.
• Create strong passwords. Of course, you’ll probably be the one setting your children’s first passwords (and helping them remember these passwords). Kids generally aren’t cognitively and linguistically developed enough to create genuinely protective passwords. Introduce basic concepts to them, adding more advanced ideas as time goes on. For instance, you could teach very young children to have different passwords for each account, to sign out after each use, and that passwords shouldn’t incorporate pets’ names, parents’ names, and the like. Children tend to have two passwords for school and three or four for home use, according to a study published in the Journal of Cybersecurity. These are somewhat manageable loads to memorize. By contrast, adults have nine work passwords and 25 home passwords.
• Ask parents’ permission before meeting someone from online in person. Go with your children to this meeting, and always have it be in a safe, public place. Emphasize why safe meeting locations are essential. Teenagers are less likely to let you know they’re meeting someone from online in person, but they can internalize the message to meet publicly.
• Log out of all accounts when using a public device. Explain that when people use library computers or even friends’ devices, they need to log out. Otherwise, the next people on the device could get into their accounts.
• Beware of free stuff. Let your children know that criminals use free games, apps, ringtones, and the like as bait to hide malware. Require that younger children get your permission before downloading anything.

Be a Good Role Model

Don’t let your children see you on sites you wouldn’t want them to be on. Children often look at their parents and make judgments on what’s acceptable and what’s not. So, disconnect by example. Spend time outdoors. Read, cook, and play. If you maintain examples of being disconnected, your teen will learn from you and follow suit. In short, make good online choices. If you wouldn’t like to see your child do it, then don’t do it yourself.