Here are some tips on how to protect your family while using the internet. From the Sunnyvale Public Safety Department:
What are the essential Internet safety basics for kids?
Do
• Ask your parents if you can use the Internet
• Have basic social skills
• Understand the site's rules and know how to flag other users for misbehavior
• Recognize "red flags," like if someone asks you personal questions like your name and address
Don't
• Go online without a parent's permission
• Share passwords
• Pretend to be someone else
• Share personal details, like name and address
• Be mean
How do I teach my kids to recognize online advertising?
It can be hard to tell, especially because many ads are disguised as games. Good websites will label any ad as such, and will notify users when they are leaving the site and going to an advertisement. Explain to your kids that ads can sometimes install bad things on your computer and that even though some may be fun to play, they are actually trying to get Mom and Dad to buy something. Here are some things that typically identify ads:
• The word "ad" or "advertisement"
• Strobe effects, flashing graphics, "shaky" windows
• "Pop-ups" -- a window that appears on the screen suddenly
• A picture of a product they recognize (like a box of cereal)
• Prices or the word "free"
• Contests or the word "win"
• Automatic downloads or the words "download now"
• Adult-oriented material, such as sexually suggestive figures, alcohol, gambling, diet pills
What do I need to know about multiplayer games?
Multiplayer games (technically called "massively multiplayer online games" or MMOGs or MMO for short) let kids play against their friends and other people they meet on the game network. Most of these sites allow for instant messaging and conversation through headsets. Players are supposed to be 13 to register for an account.
Some MMOs are free and some will need a credit card (yours, most likely) to play, so that's a good time to check the age-appropriateness. Also, look at the privacy settings the site offers, and talk to your kids about responsible online communication. Read through the site's "parent section" if it has one. Beyond that, the major issue with online gaming is the time they require -- be sure to set time limits.
Should I let my kid get a Facebook page?
You're supposed to be 13 to go on Facebook, but younger kids can -- and do -- register with a false birthdate. We advise kids to wait until they're 13 for both safety and privacy reasons. If your kids want to go on Facebook, stay involved and help them follow these five rules:
• Think before you post.
• Be respectful.
• Call out cyberbullying if you see it.
• Know that anything you post online can be used in ways you never intended.
• Use privacy settings.
What are the rules of responsible online behavior?
It really all boils down to respect. Respect for other people, respect for other people's work, and respect for yourself. The Internet is a community. Here's how to keep it a nice place to hang out:
• Share, but don't overshare. Information spreads quickly to unknown audiences online.
• Treat others kindly. Stand up for people who are targeted.
• Respect creative work. Give proper attribution to any work you use -- whether for school reports, videos, or music remixes.
There's a lot of talk about privacy. How do privacy issues affect my kids?
• Privacy means two things: Personal privacy refers to your own online reputation; consumer privacy refers to the data that companies can collect about you. Kids need to manage both kinds by being careful about what they post and by being aware of what kinds of data companies collect (often buried in fine print).
• Strict privacy settings actually can help protect both personal and consumer privacy. But kids who are active online must understand that it is up to them to manage their own online reputation.
Do
• Ask your parents if you can use the Internet
• Have basic social skills
• Understand the site's rules and know how to flag other users for misbehavior
• Recognize "red flags," like if someone asks you personal questions like your name and address
Don't
• Go online without a parent's permission
• Share passwords
• Pretend to be someone else
• Share personal details, like name and address
• Be mean
How do I teach my kids to recognize online advertising?
It can be hard to tell, especially because many ads are disguised as games. Good websites will label any ad as such, and will notify users when they are leaving the site and going to an advertisement. Explain to your kids that ads can sometimes install bad things on your computer and that even though some may be fun to play, they are actually trying to get Mom and Dad to buy something. Here are some things that typically identify ads:
• The word "ad" or "advertisement"
• Strobe effects, flashing graphics, "shaky" windows
• "Pop-ups" -- a window that appears on the screen suddenly
• A picture of a product they recognize (like a box of cereal)
• Prices or the word "free"
• Contests or the word "win"
• Automatic downloads or the words "download now"
• Adult-oriented material, such as sexually suggestive figures, alcohol, gambling, diet pills
What do I need to know about multiplayer games?
Multiplayer games (technically called "massively multiplayer online games" or MMOGs or MMO for short) let kids play against their friends and other people they meet on the game network. Most of these sites allow for instant messaging and conversation through headsets. Players are supposed to be 13 to register for an account.
Some MMOs are free and some will need a credit card (yours, most likely) to play, so that's a good time to check the age-appropriateness. Also, look at the privacy settings the site offers, and talk to your kids about responsible online communication. Read through the site's "parent section" if it has one. Beyond that, the major issue with online gaming is the time they require -- be sure to set time limits.
Should I let my kid get a Facebook page?
You're supposed to be 13 to go on Facebook, but younger kids can -- and do -- register with a false birthdate. We advise kids to wait until they're 13 for both safety and privacy reasons. If your kids want to go on Facebook, stay involved and help them follow these five rules:
• Think before you post.
• Be respectful.
• Call out cyberbullying if you see it.
• Know that anything you post online can be used in ways you never intended.
• Use privacy settings.
What are the rules of responsible online behavior?
It really all boils down to respect. Respect for other people, respect for other people's work, and respect for yourself. The Internet is a community. Here's how to keep it a nice place to hang out:
• Share, but don't overshare. Information spreads quickly to unknown audiences online.
• Treat others kindly. Stand up for people who are targeted.
• Respect creative work. Give proper attribution to any work you use -- whether for school reports, videos, or music remixes.
There's a lot of talk about privacy. How do privacy issues affect my kids?
• Privacy means two things: Personal privacy refers to your own online reputation; consumer privacy refers to the data that companies can collect about you. Kids need to manage both kinds by being careful about what they post and by being aware of what kinds of data companies collect (often buried in fine print).
• Strict privacy settings actually can help protect both personal and consumer privacy. But kids who are active online must understand that it is up to them to manage their own online reputation.
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