Parenting My Teen

Times are definitely changing and with the Internet and the growing amount of wireless advice, it’s pretty tough to keep tabs on our kids.  Internet safety tips for teens is one of my concerns for parents.

We want to know that they’re safe, but we also want to ensure they have a sense of privacy. A recent study conducted by Justin Patchin, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, showed 91% of the profiles viewed for users 18 and under did not include full names and 40% of youth kept their profiles private from public view.

Unfortunately, the same study showed that 5% posted pictures of themselves in bathing suits or underwear. 15% of the profiles showed friends in bathing suits or underwear.  The positive thing to take from this study is that a lot of kids are being safe and just because our kids are online, doesn’t mean that they are getting themselves into trouble or are being targeted by predators. The Internet gives our children access to many more people (and gives many more people access to our children), but most children are going to use the same logic and common sense they apply to the offline world and won’t become victims to predators.  Practicing some internet safety tips for teens is very imporant to keep our teens safe. 

When it comes to internet safety tips for teens — always:

• Keep the lines of communication open
• Know who your children are spending time with
• Respect their privacy, with the guidelines we mentioned earlier
• Spend time with your children

Here are some more internet safety tips for teens to consider as you guide your teens online:

• Create a list of Internet rules with your teens. You should include the kinds of sites that are off limits, Internet hours, and guidelines for communicating with others online, including in chat rooms and instant messenger
•  Teach your teens never to give out personal information without your permission when using e-mail, chat rooms, or instant messaging, filling out registration forms and personal profiles, and entering online contests.
• Make sure your teens check with you before making financial transactions online, including ordering, buying, or selling items.

If you think your children are spending too much time online, you can speak to them about it. Establish limits, with their input, and encourage other physical activities, spending time with friends and family members.

If you sense there truly is a problem and they may be involved in something dangerous, start a discussion about it. If you think you need to see what they’ve been doing online, go together.  Whatever you do, be sure to put some internet safety tips for teens in place in your home.

P.S. If you want information on a good internet monitoring software that is easy to use, then check out the link below: http://www.parentingmyteen.com/pc_tattletale.HTML