The Internet has become fairly ubiquitous in our lives. We buy our household items online. We order food and groceries online. We pay our bills online and, for many of us, we get paid by our employers online. The Internet also played a role for good during the Pandemic, allowing many of us to keep working remotely when our offices and other places of business were closed. It made us easier to file our health insurance claims and, for those who were out of work, to get paid the unemployment checks that kept our families afloat.

The same thing happened in the world of education. When schools closed their doors, they were able to switch to remote learning platforms on spaces like Zoom. This allowed our children to keep up with the grade level of education. Unfortunately, the virtual education offered by the Internet lacked that socialization that is also a big part of learning. Nevertheless, the Internet can be a force for good in society, allowing our children to do research more easily, receive their assignments when they miss school due to illness, and stay in touch with other students all over the world. Nevertheless, there is a real downside to our connected world, and as a parent, it is crucial that you stay in touch with your student’s use of the Internet. Here are some helpful tips for you.

1. Be aware of age-appropriate websites

A great deal depends on the age of your child. If you have a student in early elementary school, it is probably a good idea to monitor their use of the Internet as closely as possible. They are young and inexperienced, making them susceptible to scams and predators. Sadly, there are some truly bad people who use social media to prey on naïve young people. It may not be a bad idea to be in the room when your child uses a desktop computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet.

The reality is that as children mature, they expect an increasing degree of independence. If you have trained your child well in the safe use of technology, then you can begin to give them more freedom to use the Internet. When they were younger, you may have limited the amount of time they could spend on the computer. You may have checked their online History, which is a good idea to do for younger students. You may also have always been in the room. As they enter middle school and high school, they expect more leeway. Also, let’s face it, older kids know how to get away with things. That is why it is important to get them to use online safety early, so it is ingrained in their usage of technology.

2. Communication

This is a two-way street. If you are honest with your kids, the odds are better that they will be honest with you. Find out what sites they go on. If they want to show you funny video on Tik-Tok, Snapchat or Instagram, take the time to watch. You may actually even enjoy what you see. The key is that if you show interest in what your kids are doing, they are more likely to keep you updated on their activities.

3. The Internet is Forever

This is something that even adults forget. How many politicians and celebrities have we seen get “cancelled” for posting an edgy joke or image on social media? Sure, they may decide to delete the tweet or post, but once it is up, someone is sure to take a screenshot. 

In addition, even deleted posts and tweets remain in the history of the site. This is what has happened with a certain former president’s tweets that were just subpoenaed by a special prosecutor. While this probably won’t happen to you or your child, there is still the chance that something they posted online when they were younger could come back to haunt them. Prospective employers and college admissions offices can and do check the social media accounts of many applicants. It has become common in high school debates for opponents to attack each other over things they may have posted or tweeted that have nothing to do with the subject. You should probably let your student know to think before they tweet.

4. The Internet is not always a reliable source

An increasing number of students do most or all of their research online. These kids enjoy the ability to do your research papers from the comfort of your own bedroom. The problem is that the information on the Internet is not always reliable. The First Amendment protects the ability of folks to post almost anything they want, even if the information or claims they make are false or misleading. There are only a few limits, such as trying to sell stocks or drugs online. This means that your student has to make sure that the source they are using is reliable. This can often be a very difficult task online.

You should encourage your student to use the Internet as a starting point, but to not base his or her paper entirely on sources found online. Instead, try to get them to go to your local library. The research facilities there may contain sources that are more reliable than the ones found online. They may also have information that is unavailable or difficult to find on the Internet. In addition, your child can always consult with the local librarian who will be happy to assist with the research.

5. Don’t go Phishing

The Internet is filled with scams. Most are pretty obvious, but some are very well-crafted and can fool many people. Unfortunately, just like in life, the Internet is filled with immoral people who are looking to get rich off of other people’s mistakes. You need to let your child know to think twice before clicking on that email attachment, web-link, or other enticing thing. If it sounds too good to be believed, then it is probably a scam.

These Internet scams come in many different forms. Phishing involves luring an unsuspecting person to divulge sensitive personal information like credit cards, social security numbers, and passwords. They will then turn around and sell these to folks who commit identity theft. Then there are malware and viruses that can damage the performance of your devices. A form of this is called ransomware that will lock up the information on your computer unless you pay a fee to the criminals who committed this. While most targets are ransomware are businesses, it can still happen to individuals like you. This is why you need to educate your kids on limiting the information they share online.

Practicing online safety is something for your kids and for you

The reality is that many adults also get harmed by improper use of the Internet. They share rumors that are fake. They post things that can result in losing a job. They share information that can make them victims of scams. Practicing online safety is crucial for you as well as your young student. Aside from protecting yourself, you are also setting an example.

Here at Dade Prep Academy, we make sure to monitor the Internet usage of our students. We make sure that they are using technology safely and properly, so that they can develop life skills to help them in the future. It is clear that technology is here to stay, so learning proper Internet safety is crucial for all of us, including your student.