These computer safety tips are adapted from a publication by the Texas Young Lawyers Association:
- Keep computers in a common area of the home so you can monitor your child’s online activities.
- Encourage your child to use a nickname rather than his or her real name when online.
- Tell your child to be careful when posing for pictures or videos.
- Remind your children that anything they post can potentially be viewed by millions of people.
- Teach your child to think about what he or she is posting before doing so.
- Tell your child it’s never okay to meet someone he or she has met only online.
- Teach your children to keep identifying information about themselves and photos off of their blogs and social networking profiles.
- Learn about the social networking sites your child uses; if he or she has a MySpace page, learn how to use MySpace.
- Teach your children to set their personal settings on social networking sites to “private” and make sure they “friend” you.
- Be engaged, and communicate with your child; let him or her know that you will check the computer history and text messages or even Google their names.
- Tell your child to keep passwords secret. Watch your child for signs of cyber-bullying.
- If your child is being cyber-bullied, save all evidence, including e-mails and text messages.
- Tell your children to talk to an adult if they are being cyber-bullied.
- Remind your children to treat others the way they would like to be treated.
- If your child knows someone who is being cyber-bullied, encourage him or her to reach out and help that person.
- Teach your child not to forward photos that may be embarrassing or hurtful to others.
- Talk with your child and create a relationship of trust.
