Helping Kids Stay Safe Online
• Trust and supervision
◦ Work with your kids, not against them, to set and keep your family’s technology rules
◦ Regularly review history, sites, apps, contacts and messages
◦ Let your kids know they can talk to you about anything they see online without fear of reprisal
◦ Communicate openly and often about the benefits and dangers of technology
• Sharing safely
◦ Set social media profiles to private
◦ Only friend people you know in real life
◦ Don’t share personally identifiable information
◦ Turn geotagging off
◦ Understand oversharing: once it’s shared, you can’t take it back
• Appropriate usage
◦ Establish schedules and time limits for screen time
◦ Keep screens in public locations
◦ Turn screens off at the table and well before bed
• Parental controls
◦ Find trusted sources and learn about your options
◦ Familiarize yourself with parental controls for the platforms you use (Windows, Android, macOS, iPhone, etc.)
◦ DNS-based content filtering for your home network (OpenDNS, CloudFlare, SafeDNS, CleanBrowsing)
• Recognize the signs of abuse, grooming, cyberbullying and self image issues
• Changes in mood, behavior and attention
• Problems with sleeping or appetite
• Worsening grades or problems at school
• Fear of missing out
• Spending less time outside
• Social withdrawal and isolation
• Avoiding talking about online activities
• Skipping school, sporting activities or hobbies
• Negative social comparison
• Lead by example
◦ Keep the same rules you expect them to keep when it comes to phone-free times and places
◦ Spend quality time with your kids without devices
◦ Don’t make your kids battle your phone for your attention
I'm doing a #parents night at a local elementary school about helping #kids stay safe online. Here's my handout with my proposed talking points. Any advice/suggestions/something I'm missing? #parenting #onlinesafety #esafety #socialmedia