Is Your Child Safe Online?

The internet and your kids have something in common: they both change... fast.

I know the subject of internet safety has been done to death but the reality is parents must remain constantly diligent about this incredibly dynamic medium. The safety checks you put in place a couple of years ago will no longer apply when your child gets older or they want to download a different networking application or they have their own computer. The best resource you have, of course, is your attention. If you're engaged in your child's activities its easy and simple to monitor activity and provide timely warnings. If the computer is in a common spot in the house, the whole family becomes the 'net nanny'.

From my perspective, the common mistakes our children make online are in the area of social networking. Its easy to spot the kids who are unaware of the size of their audience, they are the ones publishing their phone numbers, addresses, private information about their families, dubious self-portraits, etc. This information is not only reaching a large audience now but the indelible quality of the internet makes them time-traveling bombshells. Embarrassing pictures posted today will be seen 5 years from now by the background-checking HR manager who will be interviewing you.

Its not always necessary to share your name/phone/address either. The information kids are sharing may be subtly imbedded in their chat, if you want to scare yourself silly - read through this oft-circulated, cautionary tale (shades of urban legend).

According to Stats Can, as of 2009 (which is ancient in 'iYears'), 77% of Canadians access the internet at home. 42% have Facebook accounts, 47% use Twitter, 27% contribute to blogs, 45% using SMS. Looking at the trends, not surprisingly, all of these stats have increased significantly year over year. The point is that internet use is here to stay and will only increase over time. As in all things we teach our children, the guidelines we set as parents now will set the stage for how our children use the internet over a lifetime.

For some tips on what you can do; 'The Learning Team' monthly publication has an article entitled '10 Tips for Parents: Keeping your Children Safer Online'. You can read it here.