Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Do you have some additional tips to share to protect him when he is connected?
Cheers,
Michelle
Some random thoughts... It isn't so much the technology they use, but the guidance they get from parents.
Kids are often more tech savvy then their parents are, and more than their parents realize. So, he will soon be able to outsmart any kind of blocking software, if he isn't already. So, if the older one is determined to look at porno, for example, he's gonna be able to find it no problem. So you may want to think about how you will address that issue, and have a talk.
Protecting against online predators is probably one of the bigger concerns. While the social app ban reduces the chances considerably, eventually they are going to use them. Be frank about how predators operate, and explain why it is very important not to freely give out too much information about oneself to a stranger on the internet. Point out that some predators masquerade as teenagers too.
Another big danger is getting ripped off. Discourage buying anything online except from well-known merchants. Keep things like DOB or other identifying info offline, to guard against identity theft.
The fourth big danger I can think of is malware. This gets kind of technical, so it depends on how much you know about it too. But you can tell him to not click on fishy links in email and things like that.
Porn, predators, rip offs, and malware are probably the biggest issues facing kids, and they each require a different set of protections. Best thing to do is think about all the ways you avoid trouble online, and teach them to the kids. If you aren't sure, there are many guides online that can help.
When our kids were young we had a complicated email so they couldn't remember to give it out. Of all things we still have it. We had our computer set up in the living room, visible from the kitchen and sharing a wall with the master bedroom. In our home computer time was the reward for getting their homework / chores done. It was amazing how quickly they'd accomplish their jobs in order to play an online game. And that is all they did back then. No social media. Not at 12. It wasn't until high school that they had their own email accounts - Well one did.
FortiClient (free software) would not load any website with questionable (adult, scam, ...) content. Also would scan for viruses, worms, and ad malware.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
