JUNE IS NATIONAL INTERNET SAFETY MONTH
Kids and Online Safety
Summer is in full swing, and kids have even more free time to spend online. A 2018 Pew Research Center report shows that two-thirds of parents worry about their teen spending too much time online, and one-third worry a lot…and with good reason! Common Sense Media reported in 2018 that teens spend an average of nine hours a day online and kids eight to 12 spend about six hours.
Young kids should be supervised closely to ensure they don't stumble onto content that could scare or confuse them. Teens may seem sophisticated when it comes to using mobile devices or computers, but they still need guidance to help them understand which online sources are safe and trustworthy. Even the most tech-savvy kids need to be reminded that:
- Not everything they see on the internet is true
- People online may not be who they appear to be or say they are
- Information or images they share can be seen around the world
- Once something is posted online, it's all but impossible to take it back
The best way to protect kids online is to talk to them, early and often, about online safety. Kids are using smartphones and tablets at very young ages and need to begin learning the responsibilities and risks of the online world as soon as they are old enough to understand. Parents who communicate their values and expectations clearly can prepare their kids to make safe choices when confronted with tricky online situations.
Below are some tips to help ensure kids are practicing online safety:
- Be positively engaged: Pay attention to and know what sites your kids are visiting online.
- Know the protection features of the websites and software your children use: All major Internet service providers have tools to help you manage your child's online experience, e.g. selecting approved websites, monitoring the amount of time spent online, or limiting who can contact them.
- Review privacy settings: Decide which privacy settings on social networking sites, cell phones, and other social tools are appropriate for your child's age and experience.
- Explain the implications: Help your child understand that anything they share on the internet can be easily copied and pasted elsewhere and is almost impossible to take back.
- Stranger danger: Help your child understand that not everyone is truthful about their identity online, and stress the importance of not sharing personal information
- Be aware of all the ways your child can connect to the internet: Phones, tablets, gaming systems, and even TVs can be connected to the Internet.
While it is extremely important to teach kids to look both ways before crossing the street and to be wary of strangers, it is equally important in today's world to teach them about online safety. Kids need guidance in determining what information should stay private and why. Finally, they should be encouraged to remember that real people with real feelings are behind the user names, profiles, and avatars of the people they encounter online.
Protecting Your Identity
Identity Theft Protection Tip: Beware of social media scams asking you to "verify your account."
In May 2019, it was revealed that Instagram's website leaked contact information of users over a four-month period. This information was gathered and stored on an unsecured database by the India-based marketing company Chtrbox. The data contained phone numbers and email addresses of individuals, businesses and even minors.
Unfortunately, there has been an increase in unprotected databases hosted online leaving many people with their information exposed without their knowledge. And, the more criminals find out about you, the more likely they can impersonate you or trick you into falling for a scam. With the increased frequency of data breaches and unprotected databases, it's important to always be on your toes.
While you can't do much about the unprotected databases, you can make sure you are doing everything in your power to minimize your risks. This includes being selective with what information you disclose online when signing up for social media accounts and always making sure your profiles is set to the highest privacy settings. It's also important to have strong passwords and change them often.
Visit the Identity Theft Resource Center for more information.
This article is courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture