Internet Safety--PROTECT YOUR KIDS!!

by LiveCrafts

760810

Intro: Internet Safety--PROTECT YOUR KIDS!!

There are over 350,000 registered child predators in the U.S. alone. Educating your kids about internet safety is crucial. Every parent wants to protect their children, but they rarely think about what they are doing on email, or twitter, or texting. Learning to protect your kids on the internet is important--and this instructable shouldn't be taken lightly.

STEP 1: Is It Spying?

Checking up on your kids' emails and text messages is a good thing to do. Although they may ask you, "Mom, why are you spying on me?", you aren't. You are simply keeping them safe. And the good part? You don't need to check everything. I mean, don't check their messages with their friends, their friends aren't strangers. However, if you see an unfamiliar person or contact, check it out. Many times on internet games, such as Minecraft, kids use the External Servers wrongly. Many kids use it for dating, not playing. Some kids may get caught up in this, and give their text username or email away. This is bad, and not okay. This person could be a Child Predator! Always check your kids' emails and texts, or twitter and facebook. But remember, don't take it too far, kids do need their privacy.

SITUATION**

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Annica is playing her favorite game: Minecraft, on a community server. A boy asks for her to be his girlfriend, and she says yes. Afterwards, she gives him her kik. And the boy gets personal information from her, such as her age, address, and email. Annica asks his age, and he says 14, her age. However, this boy is really 32. They arrange a meeting, and Annica goes. She is kidnapped, and later found dead in an old abandoned farmhouse. If her parents had monitored her texting, she would not have been kidnapped.

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NOTE***This is not a true story, just one I created. Many times, the person is just a mindless teen, but sometimes, this may not be the case.

STEP 2: Parental Controls

Parental Controls is a good thing!! With some Parental Controls, you can choose what apps are downloaded, and you can disable certain apps, websites, internet, books, movies, etc. This is great if you have kids under 18, who are not technically adults. Giving them freedom is good, but to an extent. You need control. With parental controls, you can set time limits, disable web, and only allow certain apps. This is great because you can choose what kind of content you want your kid to be seeing and playing.

STEP 3: Is Kik Okay?

This is the question that everyone has been asking lately. It has been rated 18+, but can tweens and teens use it too. My answer? Under close supervision. Checking their kik every once in awhile is good. Since kik has so many smaller built in apps, it is hard to know what's okay, and what your kid will do on it. Some of the apps are completely child friendly, such as NumNums. However, kik has some seriously innapropriate apps, such as flirt with random people, or who's the cutest girl. Those types of apps aren't okay. Monitoring your kids will make sure they aren't playing these, where they could possibly give out personal info. Kik is great for chatting with friends, but it must be monitored closely.

STEP 4: Cyberbullying

CYBERBULLYING IS NOT OKAY!!! Teaching your kids to be nice online is crucial. You must teach your kids to be kind and nice online, as well as in person. However, how do you protect your kids from being cyberbullied. Teach them a few simple things.

  1. Tell them to show you mean messages immediately.
  2. Don't respond to mean messages.
  3. Don't be mean back! Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't! You can't fight fire with fire.
  4. Don't be mean
  5. Don't chat with mean people.
  6. Don't let it get to you!

STEP 5: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat

Are these okay? Are they? At a certain age, kids should be allowed to have these. I recommend the age of 15 or 16 for facebook, and twitter, but I think 14 is okay for instagram and snapchat. However, you need to set some ground rules. Here are a few I've come up with:

  • No Dating
  • I get to check them whenever I want
  • Only post kind pictures you like and you wouldn't want deleted later
  • No rude comments
  • I have to be your "friend"
  • Nobody you don't know can be friends with you on any of these.

10 Comments

Treker2 8 years ago

OK, your right this has gone way too far, at least you got some comments! ?

Treker2 8 years ago

Yeah, well truly I think that simply talking to your child an giving them an example of what could happen if they are not responsible with a piece of technology is the most effective, simply talk to them about how there are people out there that want to abuse and kill you and are using the Internet as a tool. I am not asking for your advice on parenting just telling other people out there that there is a much simpler way. Just sit down for 5 minutes and talk to them!!!

LiveCrafts 8 years ago

Yes, however, will you talk about that with a seven year old? I mean, seriously, yes, talk to them, but also set parental controls. Parental Controls is never a bad thing. I'm sorry you are getting so worked up, but I honestly don't understand why. I'm just saying to set parental controls because it can protect them a bit better. Some kids are curious, and if you talk to them, and tell Them DON'T do it, then they'll want to do it. I'm sorry you are having a difficult time with my "tip".

Treker2 8 years ago

Thats not true, I know plenty of kids who have bypassed parental controls in ways I would of never even thought of! There are a billion ways to do it and most are not that hard. Even if you have the internet browser disabled a kid could simply go onto a computer, download an apk file to their phone that removes the restrictions. If a kid wanted to get rid of parental controls he could. Parental controls are a marketing term, its only so that the companies who make phones/tablets can say "we have parental controls that will keep your kid safe!" the truth is, parental controls will only protect your child until he becomes smart enough to figure out how to bypass them.

LiveCrafts 8 years ago

Well, I don't know what to say. Only having certain websites enables on the computer can help with that. If your kid does that, then you may need to consider taking away their tablet or phone~~they aren't responsible enough. Also, use all of the steps----not just 1.

Treker2 8 years ago

Anyone can bypass a mobile devices parental controls with a simple web proxy/vpn hack, Its not that diffucult.

LiveCrafts 8 years ago

Yeah, but you need to go on the web to get that. If the web is disabled, you can't. Anyways, kids (mostly) wouldn't think of that.

Treker2 8 years ago

I should mention one thing about parental controls, if your child has any idea how to work a computer than he/she can easily bypass 80% of tools out there without you ever knowing. The best way I think to deal with situations like this is to educate your kids, parentsl controls and monitoring just makes them feel like your the enemy.

LiveCrafts 8 years ago

I like your point, however, I disagree with you. I'm talking, in this case, more along the lines of tablets or phones. Kindle Fires, I know, are great with Parental Controls, as the parent chooses the password, and in order to watch movies, download apps, browse the web, or buy music, or anything, really, that password needs to be inserted. Helping your kid understand is great, but Parental Controls, on a good device, are not easy to bypass. If this becomes an issue, maybe you need to rethink the devices your child has or is allowed to use?