Online safety tips for kids ages 13 to 17
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It's common for younger teens to experience periods of low self esteem, seek the approval of their friends, and be reluctant to accommodate their parents' expectations. Older teenagers need both group identity and independence, and tend to reconcile their family and peer values. In late adolescence, kids also mature and are ready to interact with the world on an intellectual level. Generally, teens are open to new ideas but lack the life experience to judge their validity. It is important for parents to continue to guide older children's use of the Internet.
What teens do online
Teens download music, use instant messaging (IM), e-mail, and play online games. They also actively use search engines to find information on the Internet. Most teens have visited chat rooms, and many have participated in adult or private chats. Boys in this age group are more likely to push the boundaries and look for gross humor, gore, gambling, or explicit adult sites. Girls might be more likely to chat online and therefore might be more susceptible to sexual solicitation online.
Safety tips
Here are some safety tips to consider as you guide your teens online:
| • | Create a list of Internet house rules with your teens. You should include the kinds of sites that are off limits, Internet hours, and guidelines for online communication, which includes chat room communication. |
| • | Keep Internet-connected computers in an open area and out of your teens' bedrooms. |
| • | Talk to your kids about their online friends and activities just as you would about their other friends and activities. Talk to your teens about their instant messaging list, and make sure they don’t talk to strangers. |
| • | Investigate Internet-filtering tools (such as MSN Premium's Parental Controls) as a complement—not a replacement—for parental supervision. |
| • | Know which chat rooms or message boards your teens visit, and who they talk to online. Encourage them to use monitored chat rooms, and insist they stay in public chat room areas. |
| • | Insist that they never agree to meet an online friend in person. |
| • | Teach your teens never to give out personal information without your permission when they use e-mail, chat rooms, or instant messaging, fill out registration forms and personal profiles, and enter online contests. |
| • | Teach your kids not to download programs, music, or files without your permission. If they share files or take text, images, or artwork from the Web, it might violate copyright laws and can be illegal. |
| • | Encourage your teens to tell you if something or someone online makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened. Stay calm and remind your kids they are not in trouble if they bring something to your attention. (It is important that your teen does not think that you’ll take away their computer privileges.) Read more about how to deal with online predators and cyberbullies. |
| • | Talk to your teenagers about online adult content and pornography, and direct them to positive sites about health and sexuality. |
| • | Help protect them from spam. Tell your teens not to give out their e-mail address online, not to respond to junk mail, and to use e-mail filters. |
| • | Be aware of the Web sites that your teens frequent. Make sure your kids don’t visit sites with offensive content, or post personal information or photos of themselves. |
| • | Teach your kids responsible, ethical, online behavior. They should not use the Internet to spread gossip, bully, or threaten others. |
| • | Make sure your teens check with you before they make financial transactions online, which includes when they order, buy, or sell an item. |
| • | Discuss online gambling and its potential risks with your teens. Remind them that it is illegal for them to gamble online. |