Brief overview on how to help protect your child against online risks.

1. MySpace, and Facebook and
Friendster! Oh My!
What Parents Need to Know About Internet Safety

2. Who’s looking at your child’s
information anyway?

3. Technology

4. What is it used for?
• Posting videos • Instant Messaging
• Posting photos • Blogging
• Social Networks • Gaming
(Facebook, MySpace)
• Entertainment
• Chat Rooms
• Socializing
Homework?

5. What’s the big deal?

6. 27% of employers have fired
workers for misusing email or the 70% of U.S. job
internet recruiters have
rejected
candidates
based on their
43% of online
teenagers reputations
38% of college admission have been
officers found something victims of
online that had a negative cyber
impact on their evaluation bullying
of a student
39% of teens
say they have
sent or posted
sexually
51% of teens are concerned about what a potential suggestive
(or current) employer might see about them online messages
Sources: Microsoft

7. Safety Tips
Establish rules and guidelines for use of computers and
related technology
1. Include time limits
2. Place them where everyone can see
3. Include consequences and enforce consistently
Internet Use Contract

8. Safety Tips
Keep the computer in an open area and be aware
of other computers and other devices children
may be using outside the home
Realize that your child has access to the internet
through their cell phone, iPad, iPod, Xbox and
other devices

9. Safety Tips
Use the Internet with your child and become familiar with
your child’s online activities
Knowing what sites your child visits helps you understand
the risks they may face on the Internet

10. Safety Tips
Take an active role in setting up Internet service accounts
Periodically monitor accounts to supervise online
friends, chat areas and blogs

11. Tips for Setting up Child’s
• Use your own email address – this allows you to
receive friend requests and other notifications
• Don’t allow Facebook to choose “friends” for you
–Add them based on your own
preferences, including the fact that your child
knows the person in real life
• Be mindful of the profile picture your child uses
Source: http://theonlinemom.com

12. Tips for Setting up Child’s
• Be selective what information you include in the profile –
Assume that everything is visible to others
• Privacy Settings – Most are set by default to
Everyone, change to Only Friends
• Spend time on Facebook with your child discussing what’s
appropriate to write or post
• Use updates and photos posted by your child’s friends to
talk about what you like or don’t like about them
Source: http://theonlinemom.com

13. Safety Tips
Use privacy settings to restrict access to the child’s
website
1. Allows you to approve friends
2. Allows you to block unknown people from viewing profile

14. Think Before you Post
You must assume that
ANYTHING you put online
could be seen by ANYONE at
ANYTIME

15. Safety Tips
Search different websites to see what information your
children are posting
Parents can type in their child’s
name, nickname, school, hobbies, grade or residence to
determine information availability

19. Know the type of photos your child is posting online
Possible Consequences
Unwanted attention
Embarrassment/Humiliation
Harassment
Give away person’s location
Trouble with school, police, etc.

20. Safety Tips
Do you know what “geo-tagging” is?
These devices capture a person’s physical
location (GPS coordinates) when a picture is
taken

21. Safety Tips
Make sure your kids keep their personal information
personal
Children should never give out their
birthday, address, phone number, or financial information
Certain information can be used to identify them or locate
them offline or make them susceptible to identity theft

22. Children should only post information that is appropriate for the
entire public
What is posted on a website today may be harmful in the future

24. How is communication online
different than face-to-face?
People might say things they wouldn’t
normally
Can share things any time of the day or
night
Likelihood of misunderstanding because
you can’t see the other person’s facial
expressions or hear their tone of voice
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25. Have your child ask these questions before
posting anything online
What am I posting and where am I posting it?
Who might see what I post?
Is it harmful, harmless or something in between?
Even if I don’t think it’s harmful to me, could it be to
someone else?
Do I know my friends feelings about what they want
posted?
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26. Have your child ask these questions before
posting anything online
Would I feel comfortable if someone posted it about me?
What are possible consequences of sharing the
information?
How might the information affect mine or someone else’s
reputation?
Could the information be offensive to someone who sees it?
What impact could it have on mine or someone else’s
future?
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27. Safety Tips
Children should never “friend” someone they met online -
people are not always who they say they are
Virtual strangers can lie about their identity while they are
online and it is impossible to verify their true identity
Your child is also giving that person access to personal
information; information that person can share with
whomever they want

29. What is Cyberbullying?
 Cyberbullying is the use of e-mail, instant messaging, chat
rooms, pagers, cell phones, or other forms of information
technology to deliberately harass, threaten, or intimidate
someone.
PROBLEMS
1. More public, permanent and inescapable than traditional
bullying
2. Not always the kids we expect
3. Crosses over between home and school

30. Prevention Techniques
Realize that online conversations are not private
Avoid sending messages when you’re angry – if you
say something you don’t mean, it’s hard to undo
Be mindful of the way you treat others online – Treat
others the way you want to be treated
Source: iSafe

31. Dealing with Cyberbullies
Important Steps
1. Don’t react (this is the bully’s goal)
2. Don’t retaliate
3. Block them from contacting or report them
to website
4. Save message(s)
5. Tell trusted adult

33. Make sure that kids understand they need to
tell an adult if:
1. They are really upset or unsure of what to do
2. They are also being bullied in real life
3. They have been threatened or it appears to be a
crime
4. The person is sending/posting material that has or
could damage reputation, friendships or future
education and career opportunities
5. The person is also bullying other students
6. They tried to get them to stop but it didn’t work
Source: N.E. Willard

34. Ways to Stop Cyberbullying
Tell them to stop
Ignore them – Remove them from your buddies or
friends list
Have your parents contact their parents
Talk to someone at school
Involve the police – Especially if it is a crime

35. Reminders
Internet is NOT anonymous They could be suspended or
even expelled from school
Messages and pictures The police may get
sent through the internet involved if it involves a
or cell phones can be threat or other type of
tracked down crime

36. Digital Drama
Spreading negative or embarassing
info (true, untrue or unknown) via
text, pic or video

37. Digital Drama
Would it be okay if it were happening
offline?
Would you walk up to a group of people
you barely know and announce it?
If not, why post it online?

38. Digital Drama
Will spreading it come back to
haunt me?
If you spread rumors, gossip or
lies, someone will most likely return the
favor
Is it harmless fun?
May seem like it at the moment, but a
random comment now could have long-

39. Safety Tips
Install anti-virus software
Install anti-malware software
Keep your operating system updated

40. Safety Tips
Consider implementing parental control tools
Know how to enable parental controls or restrictions on the
devices your child uses
Know how to enable parental controls on your computer
and internet browser
Remember, no program is a substitute for parental
supervision

41. Monitoring Software

42. Safety Tips
# 1 way to protect your child online =
COMMUNICATE!
Start at a very early age and talk with your child about being a
good digital citizen and demonstrate what that means

43. Brent Maguire
(618) 516-7255
www.technoarmor.com
www.facebook.com/technoarmor
www.twitter.com/technoarmor