Computer Safety Lessons
Computer use is particularly risky for children, who have little or no idea of the dangers that lurk in cyberspace. Until they are old enough to be on the offense, teachers and parents must be their first line of defense by seeing that they get the computer safety lessons they need to keep them from harm. The most effective lessons teach specific things to avoid and be aware of. Adults must be involved at all phases.
Other People Are Reading
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Personal Information
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The first computer safety lesson involves not giving out personal information to web sites or individuals online. Most kids would not find it unusual, especially if they think they are communicating with a peer online, to divulge their full name, their birthday, where they go to school, where they live, if they are going with friends to the mall, the names of their siblings and pets, even where they go to church or whether their parents work days or nights.
Safe and Unsafe Websites
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Another important computer safety lesson must stress appropriate websites and their opposites. This can be tricky. Even a website such as eBay, which should be safe for general searching, could quickly become unsafe if there are books, movies, or products young people should not be seeing. Anything that contains bad language, questionable images or something suspicious should be brought to the attention of an adult. Computer safety lessons should contain reassurances to children that they will not get in trouble if they bring an unsafe website to an adult's attention.
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Chat Rooms
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A good safety lesson about chat rooms involves thinking of them as going to a masquerade party, where everyone is wearing masks. No one is showing his true identity and no one has told you how to recognize her mask, so anyone could be safe or unsafe. Children should not reveal their real identities, either, nor should they use their city, street or school in their screen names.
Absolute No-nos
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Teach these lessons in "big block letters": Don't store passwords anywhere on the Internet, and don't type your password unless you are signing into a site that you know and trust. Don't open files attached to emails from unknown sources. Don't post a photo or send a picture of yourself to someone's cell phone or email. Don't describe yourself to someone so that you could be recognized. Don't describe any vehicles in your family or tell the route you take by walking or biking home from school. Above all, do not make a plan to meet alone with someone you "met" on the Internet. Take a parent with you. Carry a whistle to blow if anyone tries to get you into a vehicle or any situation against your will.
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References
Resources
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