Keep Your Digitally-Savvy Teen Safe Online

Even though your teen is a digital native, it doesn’t mean that he or she knows everything there is to know about internet security. Help teens stay safe online by reminding them about ways to protect themselves. Here are six essential virtual safety tips that will help keep your teen — and your home Wi-Fi network — safe from threats.

Keep personal information private.

Kids should know that they should never post private information, like their home addresses or cell phone numbers, online. Even if their friends are posting their phone numbers to Facebook or other places, it’s better to share this kind of information in private messages or emails.

Never meet up with anyone you meet online in person.

Even as the world of online dating expands, it’s still dangerous to meet up with new friends or potential romantic partners met online. The likelihood of “catfishing” — when someone adopts a different persona online than in real life — is significant. If your teen does insist on meeting a new online acquaintance, he or she should never meet that person alone.

Don’t post anything online you wouldn’t want your parents to see.

A digital footprint starts when your child ventures online for the first time — and will stay with them forever. Emphasize how colleges, employers, and friends can — and will — find those embarrassing photos they posted in high school that they never thought anyone could discover.

Don’t share your passwords with anyone.

Your teen should know that sharing passwords is the easiest way to get information stolen. Even if they trust their friends, they can never be sure that their friends will take care of their account information, especially if they forget to logout of accounts opened on public networks.

Don’t install any software, even on personal devices, without asking your parents first.

Plenty of enticing apps are simply malware or viruses in disguise. Teens shouldn’t get in the habit of downloading anything, even the hot new game, without parental permission. You can do proper research to see that the game is legitimate before letting your teen download it onto her phone or computer.