Stranger danger: How to keep your kids safe online

Social media, interactive games and apps are great ways to keep in touch with friends and family, but they can also serve as breeding grounds for child predators and other individuals who could hurt your child.

Therefore, here are a few steps to keep your kids safe while online.

Commonsensemedia.org offers these three simple rules:

  1. Never talk to strangers
  2. Don’t over share
  3. Never disclose your location

These helpful tips, along with this video from Common Sense Media, teach kids to be more responsible when gaming, posting, and sharing information online.

According to WebMD, the internet poses four dangers to kids: cyber bullying, sexual predators, pornography and damaged reputations.

With 90% of teens having used some form of social media and 75% with a profile on a social network, it is important for parents to understand the dangers and know how to teach kids to be safe online. In this highly digital world, it is still possible to keep your kids safe while surfing the internet.

Psychology Today, states that it is important to negotiate media use with kids. Most web browsers and video games allow parental controls to help parents block information their child receives online and while playing games. Placing limits on the amount of time kids spend online also leaves room for human interaction.

Protecting information at the source is a great way to help your child stay safe online. Kids who do not share personally identifiable information are less likely to become victims of online dangers. Information like names, phone numbers, and photos could put your child at risk. The metadata from one photo shared online could give away the very location of your son or daughter.

For more tips on keeping your child safe while surfing the Internet, check out the 4 Dangers of the Internet and remember to stay vigilant and stay involved when allowing your kids to get online.