Using the internet, and blogging can be an interesting and fun way to express your opinions, share your thoughts and ideas, exchange information, and keep in touch with people. But everyone should be careful about the way they and their children use the internet.
Below are some simple tips for keeping yourself and your children safe while using the internet (including this website):
- Never give out your personal information such as your full name, phone number, address, school name, workplace, credit card details or banking details unless you know the person you are dealing with is legitimate.
- Never give out your passwords or pin numbers to anyone.
- There are numerous online scams which “phish” or try to get you to reveal your personal information. You should be wary of these and ignore them.
- Never open emails from people you do not know and ignore emails promising you ‘free’ money. You should also be cautious about downloading files when you do not know who you are dealing with.
- When blogging, you may wish to post pictures, music or other material which is copyrighted to someone else. Before posting such material, you should check with the owner to make sure they are ok with you using their intellectual property.
- Never respond to any messages or blogs which are hurtful or make you feel uncomfortable. You should simply close out of the connection and notify your service provider.
- Never allow a child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they meet over the internet without parental permission.
- Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a firewall, and keep them regularly updated.
- Take care when using public computers or internet cafes. In particular, you should keep an eye out on who is watching you and close your browser when you are finished.
- Parents/guardians should discuss these safety tips with their children and encourage them to talk to them if they are ever unsure about anything to do with their use of the internet.