Internet Safety Tips

By Jerry Ropelato

Creating and following online safety guidelines can help make the Internet a safer experience for your family members.

• Place your computer in an open room with the monitor facing out. This allows you to see and control what happens on the Internet.
• Educate your children about the Internet—both positives and potential dangers.
• Bookmark child-friendly web sites. This allows children to easily find safe sites they have used before.
• Teach your children that Internet safety means never giving out personal information over the Internet.
• Share your Internet child safety experiences—both good and bad—with others.
• Teach your children to stay out of chat rooms.
• Don't install peer-to-peer applications (file sharing). Most peer-to-peer activity is illegal or objectionable.
• Teach children to crash and tell. If they have a bad experience, they should feel comfortable turning off the computer immediately and talking with a parent about the experience.
• Never allow your children to meet with someone from an online session.
• Know the parents of your children's friends and others your children email online.
• Teach children not to open email from those they don't know.
• Never respond to an unsubscribe notice on a pornographic email. If you or your child receives a message that threatens, harasses, or is of a sexual nature, forward a copy to your ISP and ask for assistance in tracking and blocking the sender

Internet child safety is crucial to creating a fun and safe family online experience.

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