How to help keep your kids safe online

How to help keep your kids safe online
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Going online, kids are able to read stories, tour museums, visit other countries, play games, look at pictures, shop and research homework. The problem is that this same online universe can leave kids vulnerable to all kinds of harmful exposure.

                        

According to the U.S. Department of Education, 23 percent of nursery school children, 32 percent of kindergarteners and 80 percent of high school students go online in some form daily, whether it's the internet, email, instant messaging, social networking or online gaming.

“You can't watch your kids every minute, but you do need to use strategies to help them benefit from their online experiences and avoid the potential risks,” Sandy Olm of CyberTipline said.

Going online is like having the world's largest library and entertainment system at your fingertips. Kids are able to read stories, tour museums, visit other countries, play games, look at pictures, shop and research homework.

“The problem is that this same online universe can leave our kids vulnerable to all kinds of harmful exposure, exposure that might be demeaning, lewd, sexually obscene, illegal or even violent,” Olm said.

According to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, online crime is the fastest growing crime in the U.S., and children are the fastest growing victim group. Thirty-four percent of children post their personal information online including contact information and pictures.

But where does a parent start? What are the essential online safety skills? How do we begin to teach and enforce them?

The website, www.PixelPrivacy.com, gives six steps for monitoring kids online.

First, place computers in a common area of the house where kids are mindful of your presence.

Second, learn more about computers and the internet. At the least get an understanding of the apps commonly used by kids. The more popular social-media apps include Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter. In addition, take advantage of any online safety services your internet service provider might offer.

Katherine Gessner, president of MCTV — the local cable provider for Wooster, Massillon and their surrounding areas — said MCTV takes the internet safety of its customers and their families very seriously. She said MCTV’s Whole-Home WiFi is a perfect example of this.

MCTV’s Whole-Home WiFi gives users the ability to manage the type of content each household device or profile can access. Additionally parents can approve or block specific websites per device or profile to keep their family safe.

“Parents also have the ability to schedule an internet freeze, give a time-out to a specific device or person and monitor their levels of internet usage,” Gessner said. “The tools MCTV provides can only go so far. Parents also need to educate themselves on internet security.”

Third, spend time online with your kids, especially at an early age. Help them learn what is safe and what is not.

Fourth, set reasonable time and usage limits.

Fifth, discuss online danger with your kids, especially when giving out personal information or even setting up in-person meetings.

Finally, keep kids out of online chat rooms unless you can closely monitor the conversation. Be wary of your child sending the messages “PW” (parent watching) or “P911” when you approach them.

Also, cyber-bullying is real. “This is any kind of online communication that is meant to make a person feel angry, sad or scared,” Olm said.

Olm said parents might have to work with their children’s school and even local law enforcement if such behavior is encountered.

There is such a phenomenon as internet addiction, according to University of Michigan psychology professor Green Wittenberg.

“This addiction is prevalent in today’s society with approximately one in four children suspected of having it,” Wittenberg said.

Wittenberg said some teens use the internet as a means of escape, especially those who suffer from anxiety or depression or otherwise lack emotional support.

“There are many online resources available to parents including Stay Safe Online (www.staysafeonline.org/) and CommonSense Media (www.commonsensemedia.org/)," Gessner said. "These sites provide information and tools that parents can use to educate themselves and to help them talk to their children about being safe online.”


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