- People like to separate the real world from the online world. But the online world is part of the real world, so make sure your children know that. Teach them that the values you are instilling in them apply to their use of technology as well. Teach them to know right from wrong, to know that their actions have consequences, and to know the difference between things that are good for them and things that are not. Then reinforce those beliefs in their Internet use.
- Teach your children which material is good and useful (or at least benign) and which is not. Just as you teach them to make good decisions about the TV programs they watch and the friends they make, teach them to make good decisions about which websites they visit and who they speak with online.
- Good parents teach their children to treat others with respect. Unfortunately, not all children do. Just as you would want your child to tell you if someone is pushing them around at school, make sure they know they should tell you if a peer is being cruel to them online as well.
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Many parents rush to buy computer software designed to block certain websites or monitor a child's online activity. But these products do more to give parents a false sense of security than they do to protect a child's safety online. A child's curiosity is like flowing water: No matter how many obstacles you set up, it will find its way. If a child wants to see a certain web site that's blocked on the home computer, he will go to a friend's house and see it there, he'll run to the library and see it there, or he'll swipe his dad's iPhone for a minute and see it there.
Good, smart parenting is far more effective than any online safety software. Good parents know what their children are doing at school. They know what they're doing with their friends, and they know what their children are doing online. Ask your children to show you how they use technology. As they're doing it, look for things that might be risky. Look for opportunities to do something you wouldn't want them to do, and bring the issue up. If, for example, they show you a photo-sharing site, ask what kind of photos they and their friends are posting, and remind them that anyone can see that information and use it for any purpose.
