Many parents think they're keeping their kids safe from the internet by refusing to buy them smart phones or laptops until they're teenagers, but these measures are no longer enough. The internet is everywhere - at school at their friends' houses, at the library - and you can't be everywhere at once. Therefore the best way to avoid future involvement in an internet safety class action lawsuit in Canada is to teach your kids from an early age how to stay safe on the internet. Here are a few tips on how to go about it.
Lead By Example
If you want your child to refrain from posting personal details, like his age, gender, address, or photograph online, you must do the same. Many parents think it's cute to post photos and videos of their infants and children wearing printable name tags in the bathtub on Facebook or Youtube, but it exposes them to predators. If you want your child to keep his private life private, don't give out details of it yourself and protect your own personal information as well.
Monitor
The best way to learn is by doing, so when you're trying to teach your child how to be safe on the internet, it's best to go online together. That way you can show her how to research information on Oshawa Dentistry safely without getting pornographic returns, what a phishing email looks like, and the sorts of things you should and shouldn't post in a chat room. Don't let your child go online alone until you're satisfied that she has learned enough to keep herself safe.
Check Up
Even once your child has graduated to surfing the internet alone, it is still best to check up on what he is doing by looking through his browsing history, emails, and Facebook page. Don't make this monitoring a secret and make it clear that it is for his safety, not for you to poke into his private life. If he lives in his dad's Rosedale real estate part of the time, coordinate with dad and become the child's Facebook friend to keep tabs on his activity even while he's away.
Keep Them Informed
Forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes, and this is true whether you're trying to sell condos for sale in Toronto or stay safe online. Keep your child up to date on the latest e-threats, tricks, and viruses and how to avoid them. Don't think you're protecting her by keeping news of the dangers she faces from her. You're keeping back a crucial aspect of what she needs to stay safe. There's no need to scare her with boogeyman stories. Reality will do the job well enough.
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