Today's middle school students will mature into a much more digitally-pervasive society than their parents have ever known. That makes it very important that this generation of students learn to use the Internet in a safe manner now. Here are 5 tips that address the major security problems Internet users need to be careful of.
1. Careful Contact
Montessori middle school children need to be taught at an early age to protect themselves and their privacy. People are not always what they appear to be online, and new contacts need to be monitored. Similarly, teach your children not to give out certain information like their address and phone numbers without obtaining your approval first. Making new friends is wonderful, but they need your help to guide them safely.
2. Virtual Etiquette
Cyberbullying needs to be avoided. Children should be taught how to communicate politely and why pressuring their peers can be devastating. The tween years can be difficult for kids to get through in the best of circumstances, and everyone benefits when we are kind to each other.
3. Log Out for Safety
It is important to log out of accounts. It may be tempting to get up and walk away from an app when you are done using it, but logging out protects private information and makes it more difficult for someone to "hack" your account. This is a common mistake that children make, and it can cause a lot of problems for everyone - from the account holder, to the people they care most about.
4. Secure Websites
There are two kinds of website URLs that children should learn to recognize. One is the old-fashioned "http:" style website and the other is the more secure "https:" website. The first uses older HTML coding and doesn't provide a secure connection. The second type is only used for secure point-to-point connections while HTML connections may be open to anyone who knows your IP address. Staying safe begins with knowing when the website should be trusted with confidential information.
5. Kid-Friendly Websites
There are all kinds of kid-friendly websites with carefully selected and examined content. Middle school kids may enjoy National Geographic for Kids, Reading Rocket, etc. The point is that there are websites designed just for kids where they can do everything from setting up daily news feeds on kid-centric subjects to using play-based materials that teach them academic subjects in an enjoyable format.
The Internet's importance in our lives is only going to grow over the next decade or so, and that means teaching your kids about Internet safety today will be a lesson that benefits them for many years to come.
The Internet's importance in our lives is only going to grow over the next decade or so, and that means teaching your kids about Internet safety today will be a lesson that benefits them for many years to come.
