How to Protect Your Children from Online Predators

By: Kim Garst

The web has such amazing opportunities for our children and families, doesn’t it? Who would have guessed when we were all growing up that there would be something as amazing as social media, which is way cooler than growing up with your own phone line in your bedroom, right?

But with the power to connect with the people we love comes some risks that are important to understand in order to protect our families.

Where are your kids online? It used to be that we just needed to know where our children were physically; if they were at home, whether they were safe, where they were going.

It’s not that different online. It’s important to know where your children are online every bit as much as where they are physically.

Depending on your children’s ages, they might be using sites like Giant Hello, Club Penguin or Webkinz which are social sites designed for kids, without the age restrictions of sites like Facebook. Each of these sites have different kinds of verification methods that ensure parents are aware of their children signing up, along with methods to make sure that your children can only connect with people they know.

In either case, it’s important that children learn great social media habits right out the gate, and this is a conversation that you can begin at any age; the sooner the better!

Post Appropriately. Teach your children that everything they post should be treated as viewable by anyone, anywhere, and that they should not post private information publicly.

Children don’t always know where the line between private and public is, so you need to be involved! Especially with younger children, let them know that the privilege of social media access comes with oversight from you.

Like many kinds of freedom, social sharing freedom is going to come gradually as they grow older and demonstrate their ability to handle this newfound freedom.

 

Read the full article at GalTime.com