20 years ago “Having the Talk” with a parent was about the birds and the bees, it was about sex and safety. Now, we face an even more imminent danger. A danger that lives in every hand of every child.
Introducing, the “New Talk”, Being Safe Online.
Let’s begin by addressing the dangers of the Internet and Social Media;
- Cyberbullying. …
- Cyberpredators. …
- Posting Private Information. …
- Phishing. …
- Falling for Scams. …
- Accidentally Downloading Malware. …
- Posts that Come Back to Haunt a Child Later in Life.
Each one of these threats is happening every second of every day to a child. It has never been so in our face. And, it is something, that if not addressed, will happen to your child at least once in their young life.
Here are the ways to make being online and connected, a safer experience:
- If you don’t know a friend on your social media list, DELETE. This is a way for predators to get into our homes.
- Adjust the privacy settings of each device. We so quickly hop in and out of our apps. When you adjust who can see you, how they see you, and who can’t harm you, it allows you to block any unwanted viewers.
- Remember to never give all of your REAL personal information. (Never give out your age, location, or real name to anyone you don’t know)
- Beware of Online Gaming (This is another way criminals find your child)
- Use Strong Passwords. The best type of password utilizes : UpperCase, LowerCase, Numbers, Symbols, and it at least 10-12 characters.
- Whatever you do, DO NOT SHARE YOUR PASSWORD. (Not even with your best friend. Once I know your password, I can get anything I want from your space online).
- Remember that GPS locators make it easy to find places, and make it even easier to find you!
- Common Sense. This is probably the most important item on this list. Put your parent hat on, and think, what would I not want my child seeing or doing? Protect them and be smart about it.
Note from the author:
I wrote this piece because it affected me recently while overhearing a video that my daughter was zoned in on. It was about the dark web and spying on children. It wasn’t so blatant to her that this was a bad thing. It was a very colorful video, talking about kids jumping on the bed, everyone laughing. Then I heard one of the guys say “Like this Dark Web Video” and “Subscribe”. When I looked at the video, it was these two young guys, watching footage from webcams of children. It wasn’t vile or perverted. But now, it seemed as if it became a game to hack into the privacy of a home, and they are using our children to do it.
Sereniti Sparkles 