Internet Safety

Teens today live a huge portion of their lives online. In fact, according to a study from Pew Research Center, 92 percent of teens report going online daily—including 24 percent who say they go online “almost constantly.”

Why so much online activity? The accessibility of smartphones, of course. Fully 91 percent of teens go online from mobile devices at least occasionally. Among these “mobile teens,” 94 percent go online daily or more often.

That’s a lot of time spent looking at a screen.

Just like you want your teen to stay safe in school and at the mall, you need to be sure they’re being smart about how they handle themselves online.

Bibliography

joshshipp. “Internet Safety Tips for Teens - Helpful AND Funny.” YouTube, YouTube, 23 Aug. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cnc4LaevRBw.

www.isafe.org - Founded in 1198, iSAFE Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and empowering stuents, parents, law enforcement, and community members to make their Internet experiences safe and responsible.

kids.getnetwise.org - GetNetWise coalition (Internet industry corporations and public interest organizations) provides valuable information and tools for users to make informed decisions about their use of the Internet. Topics include online child and teen safety, privacy, security, and spam issues.

safeteens.com - Provides a wealth of information and tips for teens using social networking sites, Web 2.0 tools, blogging, etc. "Connect Safely" is a forum to post questions and get answers. Provides awareness of "grooming" and how to protect your privacy.

safekids.com/child_safety - Provides a "guide to making the Internet and Technology fun, safe, and productive."

ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/kidzprivacy - Federal Trade Commission sponsored site providing kid and adult Internet safety and privacy tips; also, a great list of resource links.

pbs.org/parents/growingwithmedia - Provides information on how media "can shape your child's development and what you can do to create a media-literate household."

cybertipline.com - Cyber Tip Line, sponsored by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), offers parents resources to teach their children to be safer online and is a reporting mechanism for cases of child sexual exploitation.

netfamilynews.org - NetFamilyNews is a "comunity newspaper",parent-driven and provided as a public service, based on the premise that "informed, engaged parenting is essential to kids' constructive use of technology. It includes online safety and privacy, new technologies and Web resources for kids.

besafeonline.org - Advice and information about Internet safety for parents and teachers, plus opportunities to discuss problems and share solutions.