Today is Safer Internet Day! At a time when children are forced to learn from home due to the latest COVID-19 Lockdown, learning how to be safe online has never been so important.
Safer Internet Day
The internet is an abundant source of information, entertainment, and a way to chat with friends and family when we can’t be together. But, there is a dark side to the web that we often hear about. As adults, it is possible for us to fall for these scams, so it’s not surprising educating children can be rather difficult. Below Web Design High Wycombe has provided some tips to help you discuss the negative side of the web with youngsters.
How to Stay Safe Online:
- Avoid clicking potentially dangerous links:
- Dangerous links can be sent in spam emails, seemingly from someone you know. Always check the address that the email has been sent from to be certain of the source.
- Links in online adverts, comments, and social media posts might not always be genuine.
- Don’t share personal details about yourself:
- This includes your address, phone number, full name, date of birth or, school, including photos of you in your school uniform with a logo visible.
- Think before you post:
- Avoid posting anything that you wouldn’t want your family, teachers, or potential employers (in years to come) to see.
- Remember when you post something online, your information is no longer within your control. Even if you delete it, people might have taken a screenshot of what you published or shared across the far reaches of the internet.
- Always check your privacy settings:
- Privacy settings can help you control who sees information about you across social networks, internet browsers and, so on.
- Raise awareness of phishing scams:
- It’s important to ensure passwords are never shared with anyone.
- Avoid clicking on emails or messages that ask for personal information.
- We teach children from a young age not to talk to strangers, this message should be reiterated when children engage online. If they do for whatever reason, it’s vital to make them aware that people aren’t always who they say they are. So, if someone tells you you’ve won a magnificent prize without any effort, think twice about engaging with them, the reality is such an offer is too good to be true.
Online Security
Additionally, as parents, we should instill in our children the importance of:
- Creating strong passwords.
- Covering our webcams when they are not in use.
- Asking an adult if they are unsure about accessing specific online content.
- Checking the web address to ensure it is taking them to the page they want to access.
CBBC is showing a programme at 11 am today to educate children on how to stay safer online. If you miss it it will be available from the BBC Teach page. Information for parents can also be found via the Safer Internet website. #SaferInternetDay2021