You may know a teenager starting a new college or going into their final years of education. And as we have learnt over the last few years, technology has become a huge part of, not just their education, but their lives!
Teenagers now have the whole world at their fingertips, they can find anyone or anything through a couple of taps on their phones. Which is both exhilarating and terrifying in our opinion! That’s why we have found three helpful pointers to keep your teenagers safe online.
1) Reputation
Teenagers spend most of their internet time on social media – with over 736,000 Facebook users aged between 13 and 17 in the UK alone! But what do teenagers even post about? I’ll give you a hint – anything. They will post and re-post anything and everything, with no thoughts about possible repercussions.
The risks of posting dodgy or offensive content can have a huge impact on their future. If they post inappropriate, offensive, or even harmful content, it may come back to haunt them later down the line, from being turned away from university applications to not being invited to a job interview.
It is vital to ensure teenagers and young people understand that once something is posted or sent on the internet – it is on the internet FORVER! Remind young people that if they wouldn’t mind a parent or future employer seeing it, it’s ok to post online!
2) Keep Talking
It is great practise to keep talking, keep the lines of communication open and stay interested in what they’re doing online, what they’re watching, who they’re talking to, etc. Don’t be nervous to talk about challenging topics, such as cyberbullying or pornography for Example. As a parent or guardian, it might be awkward but keeping these communication lines open will be worthwhile, in order to educate them and keep them safe online.
Make sure they know they can come to you about anything that they’ve seen or read online that has been upsetting or disturbing or shocking. Ensure they know that you will simply listen to them and support them.
3) Online Privacy
Now, this one isn’t just for teenagers, it is crucial information for everyone! Privacy settings on social media profiles must be set to the highest possible security; this will help to keep you safe online.
Teenagers like to think they’re adults but still can be very vulnerable and susceptible to online scams, or catfishes, or groomers and so on. Therefore, they must never share personal details private and to themselves! Never to be shared online – especially not shared with strangers online!
Things like birthdays, full names, passwords, card numbers, addresses, place of education, ages, phone numbers, and photographs of their house, school, family or friends, vehicles and registrations can not only endanger the individual and those surrounding them, but their identity and reputation!
Ensure they also understand and respect other people’s privacy too. Some people don’t want their business shared online! It is important for people to, not only respect themselves, but other people online too.
I hope these tips have enlightened you and you take something from this article.
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