Safety on the Internet

Technology and the Internet has significantly changed the way that we interact with the world. Kids of all ages now have access to the Internet via tablets and smartphones. Even if they don’t have their own, it is almost certain that they have friends that do.  This means they can surf the web and access social media outside of school, in their homes or even at the park.  Furthermore, many children are more tech savvy than their parents and/or teachers, which can lead to dangerous activity on the Internet without appropriate supervision.  While the Internet is full of so much good information, and tools for collaboration, and tools to express creativity, and tools to enhance critical thinking skills; it has also become a potential danger zone for kids.

Cyberbullying and online predators are real life risks when using social media. Exposure to inappropriate material is especially worrisome for students accessing Internet without firewalls.  And, students who think they are behaving safely online can reveal too much personal information without realizing it.  I had to tell both of my teenage children to take their cell phone numbers off of Facebook.   Because of all of these reasons, it is my opinion that schools must take an active role in educating students of all ages about Internet Safety.  A couple of years ago our school district hosted a "Technology Fair" and invited students and their parents to attend.  One of the workshops was designed to teach parents about Internet Safety.  I believe it was a real eye-opener for many of them!

Several Great tips to share on Internet Safety:

*  Always keep computers in high traffic areas (not where kids may use alone).
*  Use difficult passwords and NEVER share your password.
*  Keep name, birthday, and address private.
*  Never respond to a bully. Copy and print the contents of messages to share with an adult.
*  Continually dialogue with children regarding Internet Safety.
*  Stay away from chat rooms and remember, don't believe everything you read!  People can easily misrepresent themselves online.

I highly recommend the following resources for educators to use in both teaching themselves and their students about Internet Safety.

·         Netsmartz – Basic Internet Safety (includes cell phone use, email, chat rooms, and identity theft)  http://www.netsmartz.org/InternetSafety

·         NSTeens – Sponsored by Netsmartz, this site offers videos, games, comics and quizzes on Cybersafety.  It also has instructions for educators on how to use the website.  http://www.nsteens.org/

·         iSafe – Contains curriculum to teach internet safety to teachers, students and parents. http://www.isafe.org/educators

·         National Crime Prevention Council – Contains lots of tips for Internet Safety, and downloadable resources. Also has tips designed for just girls, who are often the targets of cyberbullying and predators. http://www.ncpc.org/topics/internet-safety

  

·         ABCYa – This site is designed to help teach Internet safety to kinder through 5^th grade students.  It has a short, engaging video followed by an assessment. http://www.abcya.com/cyber_five_internet_safety.htm

Learn Free – This is an interactive tutorial on teaching Internet Safety to kids. http://www.gcflearnfree.org/internetsafetyforkids/1


References

Cyber-Five Internet Safety (2012). Retrieved March 10, 2015, from http://www.abcya.com/cyber_five_internet_safety.htm

Internet Safety (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2015, from http://www.netsmartz.org/InternetSafety