3 Back to School Internet Safety Tips.

With the new school year starting up it’s time for a refresher on keeping your kids safe online. Below you’ll find three simple Internet safety tips to make sure that little Johnny or little Janie can browse for school-related info without you worrying about inappropriate content, malicious software being installed accidentally, and cyber-pervs.

1. Set Ground Rules:

   Sit down with your kids and make sure they know what’s appropriate to look at on the Internet and what isn’t. Also make sure they know to come directly to you if they see something they shouldn’t. Emphasize that they won’t get in trouble if they stumble upon something by accident and you’ll likely get a better response out of them if they do happen upon the more unsavory side of the web.

2. Keep Limits:

   A set time to go online for school, or for fun, can make a world of difference. With time limits and expected consequences for too much overtime, you and your kids will all know exactly what to expect. And when. You’ll also have some ammunition against any complaining that they need 15 more minutes on Facebook when you remind them that you both agreed on time limits.

3. Monitor Activity:

   Even the best, most responsible kids in the world forget to tell you things, or skip a rule every now and again. Make sure to check in on your kids and make sure the ground rules you set from above stay fresh in their minds. I like to check in on my kids when they’re actually surfing so we can talk about what they’re looking at when it’s fresh in their heads.

While not all-inclusive (can Internet safety ever be?), these 3 simple back to school Internet safety tips can go a long way to keeping your kids safe online.