Keeping Our Children Safe Online
By Chris Allen - Faculty
Social media has clearly transformed our society over the past several years, especially for our children. Checking Facebook and updating your status is a regular part of the day to most Upper School students, the same as brushing their teeth and combing their hair.
For our Middle and Lower School students, they have literally grown up with social media. It is not a new thing; it is just what is normal. It is becoming more and more common for Middle School students to have social media accounts and some Lower School students even have them as well.
When to allow your child to have a Facebook account is a family decision that needs to be made according to the maturity level of your child. Whenever your child becomes a part of the social network, it is wise to educate them on some basic rules of safety that we sometimes take for granted. Use the following rules as a starting point for a conversation about staying safe on the internet.
Rules for Online Safety
1. I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents’ work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents’ permission.
2. I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.
3. I will never agree to get together with someone I “meet” online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring a parent along.
4. I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.
5. I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do I will tell my parents right away.
6. I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online and using a mobile phone.
7. I will not give out my passwords to anyone (even my best friends) other than my parents.
8. I will check with my parents before downloading or installing software or doing anything that could possibly hurt our computer or mobile device or jeopardize my family’s privacy.
9. I will be a good online citizen and not do anything that hurts other people or is against the law.
