How to Stay Safe on the Internet (for Kids)
Avoid responding to messages from strangers., Avoid meetings with strangers., Avoid joining private forums and chat rooms., Avoid going on dating sites., Avoid accepting random friend requests on social media., Be skeptical of what you read online...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Avoid responding to messages from strangers.
Just like you should never talk to strangers on the street, the same rule applies online.
The person you're talking to online could be dangerous and using a fake identity. -
Step 2: Avoid meetings with strangers.
Even if you've been talking to the person for a while and have formed what you think is a trustworthy relationship, ask your parents for permission to meet up with this person.
Bring your parent or guardian along, and meet in a public place., By entering a forum, you have to give out your email address, which means everyone in that forum now knows your email address., If you're a teen interested in dating, try starting with someone you know.
Dating sites can be dangerous in general, and especially dangerous for young teens., If you have a social media account such as Facebook or Twitter, don't accept friend requests from people you've never met before.
Keep your friends list free from strangers and full of friends and family members.Make sure your Facebook account is set to private, which means that only your friends can see your posts. , Ask your parents what sites are credible before searching the web.
There are many websites that claim to offer real news, but are actually fooling readers into believing their fake news.
This will be especially important when you're writing a school report, and you're able to identify what's real news and what's fake news., Don't give out your phone number or address to anyone online.
Don't share your social security number, the name of your school, or any information about your parents, family and friends., Your personal photographs can be used by others on their social media platforms to steal your identity.
Just say “no” if someone asks you to send them a picture of yourself., Your password should not be something obvious like your favorite song or your pet's name.
It should be a mix of random letters and numbers that would be difficult to guess.Use a different password for every site you log into, and change them every few months.Don't give out your password to anyone, including your best friend!, Don't post pictures of money, checks or credit cards because someone could see them and try to steal from you.
Avoid sharing the name of your parent or guardian's bank and any financial information with anyone., Don't “check in” to places on Facebook or other social media platforms.
If anyone on your social media can know where you are, that means that they can follow you.Don't share when you are going out of town because people will now know that your house is empty. , This will keep you safe from computer threats and malware.
You may have to ask your parent or guardian how to do this., If you're using a computer in a public place or at your friend's house, don't go on any of your private accounts, such as your bank account.
Save that until you get to your home device., If you receive a message that says “hi” followed by your name, that doesn't mean that the person actually knows you.
If you don't recognize the email address, don't open it.
If you happen to open the email and notice something that says, “click here,” don't click it.
It probably contains some sort of malware or computer virus., Don't buy something online unless you know it's a respectable site.
Always ask your parents before putting in your personal information and making the purchase.
You wouldn't want to get scammed out of your well-earned allowance!, Tell your parents when anyone online has made you feel uncomfortable or said something inappropriate to you.
This includes strangers or people you know., On Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, go to their profile and click the “...” button toward the top of the page.
This will display a dropdown menu where you can click “block.”, If the bully continues to try to contact you from another account, tell your parent or guardian immediately and don't respond to the cyberbully in any way.
If the bullying has gotten out of hand, it may have to be reported to your school or the police., Social media statuses can erupt into arguments in the comments sections.
Keep your opinions to yourself, and don't join in on the argument.
If you see someone else getting bullied or stalked online, report it to your parents so they can call the police and fill out a police report.Don't be a cyberbully.
An online bully could be putting themselves in danger, because bullies tend to get negative responses from internet users.
The lesson here: online bullying is dangerous whether you're the bully or the victim. , Many social media sites offer a “report” button that you can click if someone's comments seem inappropriate.
If someone is sending you comments that make you feel uncomfortable, press “report” and then be sure to block that user. -
Step 3: Avoid joining private forums and chat rooms.
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Step 4: Avoid going on dating sites.
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Step 5: Avoid accepting random friend requests on social media.
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Step 6: Be skeptical of what you read online.
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Step 7: Avoid giving out your personal information.
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Step 8: Avoid sharing personal photographs.
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Step 9: Make strong passwords.
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Step 10: Avoid sharing financial information.
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Step 11: Disable location services.
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Step 12: Keep your virus protection updated.
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Step 13: Enter private information on your home computer only.
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Step 14: Avoid opening spammy emails from strangers.
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Step 15: Avoid making purchases from sites you've never heard of.
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Step 16: Report anybody who makes you uncomfortable.
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Step 17: Block cyberbullies from your social media accounts.
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Step 18: Report cyberbullies.
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Step 19: Report online abuse done to others.
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Step 20: Use the “report” button.
Detailed Guide
Just like you should never talk to strangers on the street, the same rule applies online.
The person you're talking to online could be dangerous and using a fake identity.
Even if you've been talking to the person for a while and have formed what you think is a trustworthy relationship, ask your parents for permission to meet up with this person.
Bring your parent or guardian along, and meet in a public place., By entering a forum, you have to give out your email address, which means everyone in that forum now knows your email address., If you're a teen interested in dating, try starting with someone you know.
Dating sites can be dangerous in general, and especially dangerous for young teens., If you have a social media account such as Facebook or Twitter, don't accept friend requests from people you've never met before.
Keep your friends list free from strangers and full of friends and family members.Make sure your Facebook account is set to private, which means that only your friends can see your posts. , Ask your parents what sites are credible before searching the web.
There are many websites that claim to offer real news, but are actually fooling readers into believing their fake news.
This will be especially important when you're writing a school report, and you're able to identify what's real news and what's fake news., Don't give out your phone number or address to anyone online.
Don't share your social security number, the name of your school, or any information about your parents, family and friends., Your personal photographs can be used by others on their social media platforms to steal your identity.
Just say “no” if someone asks you to send them a picture of yourself., Your password should not be something obvious like your favorite song or your pet's name.
It should be a mix of random letters and numbers that would be difficult to guess.Use a different password for every site you log into, and change them every few months.Don't give out your password to anyone, including your best friend!, Don't post pictures of money, checks or credit cards because someone could see them and try to steal from you.
Avoid sharing the name of your parent or guardian's bank and any financial information with anyone., Don't “check in” to places on Facebook or other social media platforms.
If anyone on your social media can know where you are, that means that they can follow you.Don't share when you are going out of town because people will now know that your house is empty. , This will keep you safe from computer threats and malware.
You may have to ask your parent or guardian how to do this., If you're using a computer in a public place or at your friend's house, don't go on any of your private accounts, such as your bank account.
Save that until you get to your home device., If you receive a message that says “hi” followed by your name, that doesn't mean that the person actually knows you.
If you don't recognize the email address, don't open it.
If you happen to open the email and notice something that says, “click here,” don't click it.
It probably contains some sort of malware or computer virus., Don't buy something online unless you know it's a respectable site.
Always ask your parents before putting in your personal information and making the purchase.
You wouldn't want to get scammed out of your well-earned allowance!, Tell your parents when anyone online has made you feel uncomfortable or said something inappropriate to you.
This includes strangers or people you know., On Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, go to their profile and click the “...” button toward the top of the page.
This will display a dropdown menu where you can click “block.”, If the bully continues to try to contact you from another account, tell your parent or guardian immediately and don't respond to the cyberbully in any way.
If the bullying has gotten out of hand, it may have to be reported to your school or the police., Social media statuses can erupt into arguments in the comments sections.
Keep your opinions to yourself, and don't join in on the argument.
If you see someone else getting bullied or stalked online, report it to your parents so they can call the police and fill out a police report.Don't be a cyberbully.
An online bully could be putting themselves in danger, because bullies tend to get negative responses from internet users.
The lesson here: online bullying is dangerous whether you're the bully or the victim. , Many social media sites offer a “report” button that you can click if someone's comments seem inappropriate.
If someone is sending you comments that make you feel uncomfortable, press “report” and then be sure to block that user.
About the Author
Sophia Martin
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow creative arts tutorials.
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