How To Be Safe On The Internet
An Easy Guide To Protecting Your Information Online
What does it mean to be safe on the internet?
The internet is fun to use and provides useful information, but it can turn into a dangerous tool! Many websites ask you to enter personal information like your address and phone number and even pictures of you before you play a game or watch a video. Many times this is okay, but it is important to remember that there can be bad people who want to get your information and use it in the wrong way. The best way to make sure that these bad things do not happen is to ask an adult to check the website but there are also tips that you can follow to make sure you are being safe online. It is important to remember other forms of information like screen names, passwords, and photos. Your screen name should never be your full name and you should never give your passwords to a stranger over the internet. The location that you are accessing a computer at is also important. When using a computer at school, it is not good to download software for a game or music like you might on the computer you use at home. It is also good to learn what websites are safe and useful to get research from when doing a project. Learning how to use the internet effectively is a great skill, and knowing how to be safe online is a big part of that!
Tips For Being Safe Online
It comes down to just a few simple guidelines:
- Don't communicate with strangers online and never agree to meet in person.
- Tell a parent or another adult if a stranger contacts you in a chat room or through email or text messaging.
- Don't enter contests, join clubs, or share your personal information for any reason, unless your mom or dad says it's OK. Personal information includes your name, address, age, phone number, birthday, email address, where you go to school, and other facts about you.
Copied from: http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/house/internet_safety.html#cat115
Sources
Internet Safety Tips for Children and Teens. New York Public Library. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/