Internet Safety
You never know who you are interacting with online! Even though you may think you know . . . you can’t really be sure. So, here are some quick rules to follow when interacting through a chat room or instant message or when you create profiles on sites like MySpace:
1. Never give out personal information such as your home address, telephone number, parents’ work address/telephone number, or the name and location of your school without your parents’ permission.
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2. Never agree to get together with someone you “meet” online without first checking with your parents and then taking them along when you go.Â
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3. Never send a person your picture.
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4. Do not respond to any messages that are mean.
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5. Never give out your Internet password to anyone other than your parents (not even your best friends).
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6. Be a good online citizen and do not do anything that hurts other people or is against the law.7. Help your parents understand how to have fun and learn things online and teach them things about the Internet, computers and other technology!
Adapted from http://www.safekids.com/kidsrules.htm
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This is good advice that all children should take seriously. I watch dateline and there are all kinds of predators out there aiming for young girls and boys who give out way too much personal information on myspace or other websites. There are some WEIRD people in the world and kids need to be extremely cautious!
Comment by Katrina — March 28, 2007 @ 6:05 pm
Ok well this is pretty self explainitory, dont do anything that can get you in trouble on the computer. There are some creeps out there, yes especially on myspace. You never know what you are getting into with someone you meet on the computer. It is really dumb to think that you can trust someone you meet in a chat room. Even if that person sends you a picture of “themselves” you never really know if the picture they send you is really a picture of them. So I totally agree, be careful and listen to your parents when it comes to things like the internet because you never know what you are really getting yourself into.
Comment by Nick Shepherd — March 28, 2007 @ 6:07 pm
Kids should remember that when they talk to anyone who wants more information that they are willing to offer it is usually because they are not who they seem to be.
Especially if they are asking questions that are very personal. Usually a child will act like a child. And why would you ask specific questions if you are just talking. Never allow anyone to make you uncomfortable in asking you something that you would not want to ask.
It is not safe to talk to strangers face to face and you should be afraid if someone asks you to meet them.
There are a lot of weirdo’s out there and just expect anyone you don’t know to be one.
Comment by Debbie Cassella — March 28, 2007 @ 6:10 pm
It’s always good to have guidelines for internet use. It may seem as though these are quite obvious, but it can’t hurt to be reminded of them.
Comment by Susan — June 18, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
I have a myspace account and I keep getting a virus from a lot of my friends. Well comes to find out I was sending everyone on my friends list this video that I did not really send. I then learned it is because someone has figured my password. So to get these pictures and videos to stop being sent to all my friends I had to change my password. I did that and once again I was being warned that I had sent out another picture so I changed my password once again. Hopefully my password will hold up and no one will be able to hack into my account again.
Comment by Erica — October 22, 2007 @ 2:51 pm