When you want to teach your teens how to use the Internet, you can use the tips below to keep them safe. You want your teens to understand how to use the Internet as they get older, and you do not want them to get themselves in trouble while they are younger. These tips will protect your kids now and in the future.
Protecting Personal Information
Kids are using the internet for watching videos for example on Youtube, playing games like Match 3 games, Bubble shooters and other browser games without caring about the risks. When your kids are using the Internet, they need to know how to safeguard their personal information. Your kids should know the information they can and cannot give out online. Also, your kids should know when people need important personal information and when they do not. For example, your kids need to fill out job applications completely. However, sales websites do not need a lot of personal information to complete a transaction.
Remind your kids that they should not share their phone number and address with anyone they do not know. Kids also need to understand that using an alias is a safe way to use the internet. People do not need to know your real name if you are not in a professional setting.
Being Smart About Your Finances
Tell your kids what to know before applying for installment loans online. Your kids simply need to know how to read the fine print, how to manage their finances once they get these loans, or how to apply for jobs online. Your kids need to know what they are looking for when they applying for loans, getting credit cards, or even sending job applications.
Looking Out for Scams
Your kids need to know what scams look like. It is difficult to judge some emails or websites as scams, but you can teach your kids to check the email address messages come from, to check website certifications, and to research deals online. You might even teach your kids how to fact check certain pieces of information they find online. Kids might see fake news that they think is real, and they need to know which news websites are reputable.
Using Social Media Responsibly
Your kids need to understand how to use social media responsibly. Kids should not post anything offensive on social media, and they should limit the pictures they post. Girls should be taught to lock out the public from their social media profiles because stalkers can easily learn information about them and their friends.
Teens should not post pictures from parties, and they should avoid anything that would get them in trouble if they had a job. When teens use social media irresponsibly, their future employers will find all the content that they have posted. For example, a girl who goes on to be a teacher at a Catholic school may be confronted by the administration if they find pictures of her in a bikini drinking with her friends on Spring Break. The same is true for boys, and they will have trouble getting a job if a video of them performing ridiculous stunts or acting strange surfaces online.
Conclusion
When you teach your kids to use the Internet, you are teaching them how to protect their interests now and in the future. Your kids should protect their personal information, financial information, and learn about scams before they leave your house. This is a simple conversation that will make sense to any reasonable kid.
