Reminders for Internet Safety

Enticing pop-up advertisements/banners are too inviting for tweens to resist and unaware tweens don’t realize the ramifications of some pop-up advertisements. These pop-up advertisements always ask for personal information. Various pop-up advertisements are scams in which wrongdoers are just trying to get personal information to commit more serious crimes.

Parents need to stay on top of what tweens are doing online. A good idea is to review your Internet safety rules on a monthly or bi-monthly base. This is a suggested time-frame, as a parent you will know what works best for your family, but the important message is to remember to continue to go over the Internet safety rules. Also, it is a good idea to post the rules by the family computer. Here are some starting points for your conversation:

1. Nothing is private on the Internet
2. Never give out any personal information about yourself, family or friends
3. Never try to hide anything from us (parents), but instead, lets work as a team so you can ask for help if you encounter a problem
4. Only be friends with people online that you are friends with in person; knowing people are not always who they say they are online
5. Treat others online the same way you would treat them in person. Use respectful words in your conversations
6. Only go to the websites we (children and parents) have agreed to and don’t open any pop-up advertisements. If one does open up, close it by clicking the “x” in the box or on “close”