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Bee In the Know: Online Safety for Kids

Boy using tablet

Are your kids or grandkids well-schooled in online Internet safety?

School's out for the summer and our kids have more freedom and flexibility in their schedules. It also means they have more time to spend online. Children's curiosity and free time can lead to unintended consequences.

For example, clicking on enticing links. These can be for tips and tricks on their favorite online game or an online store coupon code. These enticing, yet malicious links, can expose confidential personal or family information. Sometimes the impact isn't immediate. They may share this information with friends who can then forward it to others.

Even more serious, the threat from adult predators is growing. These predators are looking to groom children online. Kids between 12-15 are often targeted. Predators may visit popular social media websites and pretend to be their age. We see this with adults and online romance scams. Bad actors use fake, relatable profile photos. They often purport to share similar interests to engage impressionable kids.

While these threats are real, there are simple actions we can take to combat them. We can empower our kids and build their cyber awareness muscles. It’s never too early to start conversations with your kids about online safety.

Check out our age-appropriate tips:

Elementary School Kids: Find out what they know

Ever notice how toddlers are adept at navigating to certain apps at a young age? Kids are savvy when it comes to technology and may know more than you think.

Start talking about online safety early:

  • Ask your little ones what they’ve learned about online safety at school.
  • Review helpful resources about online safety, like Google’s Be Internet Awesome campaign, together.
  • Discuss the idea that “online Is forever” – it’s never too early to talk about the permanent nature of their actions.

Middle School and High School Kids: Reinforce online privacy

  • Reinforce the importance of online privacy (when they share, their friends may re-share).
  • Talk about the consequences of over-sharing (for example, sharing vacation photos that indicate you are away and lead to a break-in).
  • Help build healthy skepticism. Encourage your kids to question if what they see and read online is true. If someone posts a profile on a social media site, is it really that person?

College Students: Emphasize the lasting impact of their online reputation

  • Talk about the ramifications of over-sharing information and the potential impact on their online reputation.
  • Reinforce safe online habits like robust passwords, applying regular updates and backing up data.
  • Discuss device safety. Young people are easily distracted. Emphasize vigilance to avoid mobile device theft.

Start online safety discussions at a young age and continue them throughout young adulthood. With ongoing and changing threats, we can never over-communicate about online safety.