Family Rules for the Digital World Create a safety plan to protect your kids online
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TEACHING ONLINE SAFETY TODAY BUILDS CYBERSECURITY LEADERS FOR TOMORROW.
F rom interactive games and chatbots to popular social media platforms, kids spend a significant amount of time online. For parents, monitoring your child’s online presence can feel overwhelming and complicated. To help navigate these challenges, Sandi Teel, cyber security instructor at Mid- Del Tech Center, offers her expertise on how to help kids stay safe online. When should families start talking about online safety? Educating your children about online safety should begin early with age-appropriate concepts. While parents may feel secure with certain parental controls and security settings, children should still be aware of the risks when interacting online. We want to teach our kids how to spot safety concerns, such as unsafe conversations, inappropriate images and digital scams. Why do families need an online safety plan? Most families have a set of house rules. The same concept should be applied to online activity. Call a family meeting and engage in open and honest communication about how everyone uses the internet — whether it’s playing games, researching for a school project or sharing on social media. Take the time to consider how information is used within each platform and create guidelines for what’s safe and unsafe to share. To help kids remember, make it a fun quiz or game. How can we teach kids to protect their personal information online? A critical concept for kids and teens to understand is Personally Identifiable Information (PII). In the world of cybersecurity, this refers to any information that can help identify, locate or contact a specific person. Oversharing risks related to PII include sharing passwords with friends, posting sensitive details (think travel plans, home addresses, driver’s licenses or work IDs) and not limiting your audience access by managing private and public settings. It’s also important to review how you share your location — whether it’s through in-app location services or via social media posts featuring your family’s daily routine or in-home activities. Whether the social media post is made by a child or by a parent about their child, be mindful of sharing PII. For kids and teens, limiting social
media shares can be difficult, especially when many have aspirations of going viral or becoming an influencer. Instead, use their interests to discuss the pros and cons of an extensive online presence. What red flags should kids watch for online? Children and teens are often impressionable and may be more susceptible to scams. Try to use real-world examples and ‘what-if’ scenarios to explain how a scam might work. For instance, grandma won’t be texting about unclaimed inheritance, and the appealing advertisement offering a free download might be malware. We want to teach kids how to spot suspicious communications while also promoting open family dialogue and consistent family safety guidelines. How can kids turn cybersecurity into a career? Cybersecurity is needed across all industries and on our personal devices as hackers become more sophisticated and invasive. As technologies advance, so does the growing demand for cybersecurity professionals. There are currently more than 3 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs worldwide. At Mid-Del Tech, our cybersecurity program aligns with industry standards to prepare students for CompTIA certifications in A+, Network+ and Security+. Learn more about Mid-Del Tech Center’s specialized career programs at middeltech.com.
SANDI TEEL, CYBER SECURITY INSTRUCTOR AT MID-DEL TECH CENTER, OFFERS TIPS TO HELP KIDS STAY SAFE ONLINE.
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