Our world is becoming more connected than ever. Those who aren’t even old enough to read are old enough to navigate their way around tablets and smartphones. It can be amazing and also frightening to realize how technologically savvy your children are. While it might help to open up their developing minds, there are also things they don’t fully understand. Online privacy is a very important matter to educate them on. Here are some things you can teach your kids about online privacy.
- Better safe than sorry
There’s so much to be wary of when it comes to sharing information online. You should let your kids know that if they don’t feel comfortable sharing something, they shouldn’t. This includes sensitive information like social security and credit card numbers to what city they live in. They’re under no obligation to share this information. If they’re unsure about something, you should tell them to come to you to help decide. Make sure they know they won’t be punished for coming to you in an uncertain situation.
- Signs of secure sites
Any website that is unsecured should be avoided, especially if it involves sharing of any sensitive information. It’s easy for you to teach your kids about this. Just make sure that they only use websites with an “https” (instead of “http”) in the URL box. You should also show them visual examples of websites that can be trusted versus ones that should be viewed with skepticism.
- The value of privacy
Your kids might not fully understand why online privacy is important. While you don’t want to scare them, you can teach them valuable lessons of privacy being compromised online. Teach them about people having their identities stolen, for instance. It might not seem like something that would concern them, but they should know fraud doesn’t discriminate. Just a few misguided clicks could make all the negative difference for them, and they don’t want to find themselves trying to make up for shortsighted thinking when they’re older.
- Under the difference between digital and personal interaction
Thanks to social media, the line between online and in-person interaction has been blurred. We talk with people face-to-face and then through computer screens. This can lull us into a sense of security where we think we know someone without ever seeing them. By informing your children of the dangers of talking to people online and how they can persuade us into sharing valuable information, you can help them. This will teach them to think twice before sharing sensitive information. Tell them that they’re in control of the situation and are able to say no to anyone simply by closing the screen or tab.
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