25 Tips on How to Protect Our Families on the Internet
Today, February 5th, is Safer Internet Day and I’ll be sharing 25 Tips on How to Protect Our Families on the Internet.
This post is sponsored in partnership with Google and the Forward Influencer Network.
As a tech driven family, I find that we try to stay up to date on the latest technology. I also find that we use the Internet on a regular basis. It’s unlike when I was a kid – when I had to do my research at the library, using books, encyclopedias and newspapers. Or when I would watch programs on the television and the big thing was when DVDs began to replace VHS. Now, almost everything can be found on the Internet, which means it’s something our family is constantly using. It then makes it necessary to find a Network Installation Provider that offers fast and reliable internet connection.
As a mom, I want to protect my family and I bet you do too (whether you’re a mom, dad, grandparent, you name it). So what better time to share these 25 tips on how to protect our families on the internet than on Safer Internet Day!
SMART
5 tips to help you Be Internet Smart
- Be a positive presence online just like IRL (in real life). Remember, once something by or about you is online like a photo, comment, or message, it could stay online forever.
- Think before you post. It’s important to know when to post nothing at all – not to react to somebody’s post, photo, or comment or not to share something that isn’t true.
- Protect your secrets. Do not share your address, email, phone number, passwords, usernames or school documents with strangers.
- Donʼt assume that people online will see you the way you think theyʼll see you. Different people can see the same information and draw different conclusions from it.
- It’s always important to respect other people’s privacy choices, even if they aren’t the choices you’d make yourself. Different situations call for different responses online and offline.
ALERT
5 tips to help you Be Internet Alert
- Double check a site for credibility. Before you click on a link or enter your password on a site you haven’t been to before, check that the siteʼs URL matches the product’s or company’s name and information youʼre looking for.
- Use secure websites. Make sure a website’s URL starts with https://with a little green padlock to the left of it.
- Don’t fall for scams. If the email or site offers something that sounds too good to be true, like a chance to make a lot of money, it’s almost always too good to be true. Don’t fall for the fake message.
- It can happen to anyone. If you fall for a scam online, tell your parent, teacher, or other trusted adult right away and change your passwords to your accounts immediately.
- Attention! Remember that website or ad canʼt tell if thereʼs anything wrong with your device! There are scams that may try to trick you into downloading malware or unwanted software by telling you that thereʼs something wrong with your device.
STRONG
5 tips to help you Be Internet Strong
- Create a strong password. Choose at least 8 characters and use combinations of letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and symbols.
- Switch it up. Use a different password for each of your important accounts.
- Get creative. Donʼt use a password thatʼs easy to guess, like your nickname, just the name of your school, favorite basketball team, a string of numbers (like 123456), etc. And definitely don’t use the word “password”!
- Avoid getting personal. Donʼt use personal information (name, address, email, phone number, Social Security number, motherʼs maiden name, birth dates, etc.), or common words in your password.
- Don’t hesitate to change your password. Immediately change your password if you know or believe it may be known by someone other than a trusted adult.
KIND
5 Tips to help you Be Internet Kind
- Follow the golden rule! Treat others how you’d like to be treated, both online and IRL (in real life).
- Be an Upstander! An Upstander fights bad behavior and stands up for kindness and positivity.
- Example: Report the harassment. Tell someone who can help, like a parent, teacher, or school counselor.
- Do simple actions to turn negative interactions into positive ones.
- Example: If someone posts something negative online to a friend, get a bunch of friends to create a “pile-on of kindness” – post lots of kind comments about the person being bullied (but nothing mean about the aggressor, because you’re setting an example, not retaliating).
- Make good decisions when choosing what to say and how to deliver it.
- Example: Don’t type something online if you wouldn’t say it in real life.
- Spread kindness online.
BRAVE
5 tips to help you Be Internet Brave
- Found something negative? Say something! If you come across something that makes you feel uncomfortable or worse, report it – be brave and talk to someone you trust who can help, including a teacher, the principal, or a parent.
- Talk it out. Asking for help when you’re not sure what to do is a brave thing to do. If it’s to help you or someone heal something hurtful or stop harm from happening, it’s both smart and courageous.
- Report and/or block inappropriate content. Reporting can help the people involved, their community, and the platforms themselves if we use the tools to block and/or report on a site or app.
- Get proof. Before blocking or reporting inappropriate content, it’s always wise to take a screenshot so that you have a record of the situation.
- Don’t be afraid! If you receive a creepy message or comment from a stranger, show a trusted adult, block and report them.
I hope you found these tips to be helpful when it comes to protecting your family on Safer Internet Day. Be sure to Come Together for a Better Internet with your family by using Be Internet Awesome starting with the program’s NEW Family Guide and then encourage your kids to put their skills to the test with Interland at g.co/Interland. Encourage your child’s school to come together for a better internet too, by sharing Be Internet Awesome with their teachers. Also, have a conversation with your kids about how to be safe and smart online on SID and everyday by using the information you learned from Be Internet Awesome.
Happy Safer Internet Day! Let’s keep our families safe on the Internet!
Which of these tips have you implemented to keep your family safe on the Internet?
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Such great tips <3
Thanks for sharing….
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Wow, what great tips. They will be so helpful to all my grandchildren. The world was so different when I grew up and to me a lot safer. I wish it could be that way for my grandchildren.
These are great tips. I need to remember to encourage my kids to make sure to tell someone about any issues they find or have when on the internet.
Great tips it’s so important to be wary of what you post online these days thanks for sharing
I love the categories you split your review up into. Keeping safe online feels a growing problem, thank you for the tips.
Great tips for helping our kids. I feel we have a good system when they’re online, but, more can be done!
These are great tips. My kids are older and I am glad they haven’t been on the dating sites – yet! Those scare me, especially for young ladies.
I love your tip for doing a screenshot before blocking someone or reporting something. Great advice!
Thank you for the tips. Will definitely share this article among my friends to protect them from the “evils” of the internet.
That KIND section should be highlighted in 24K gold and tattoed on everyone’s arm. The meanness on the internet is crazy.
I love that you remind us of the golden rule. It’s a golden rule in our home as well. That’s how I get the kids to calm down, and myself.
Thank you for all these tips! I try to change my passwords often but always forget to. I know I need to be more serious about it.
As a mom to my soon to be teenager son, I always tell him to always “Think before you click” and be a responsible netizen(a term that refers to a person using social media) Thanks for this awesome tips!
Excellent tips you mentioned. With our kids we keep an eye on monitoring their online time, and are always trying to be more diligent with them, as far as if something doesn’t seem right to them to let us know.
Although not 100% proof, Firefox has a feature that doesn’t let you visit a site if it’s very suspicious.
I think talking to all family members about scams and what doesn’t look safe is definitely a conversation to have. Especially with kids connecting so early on these days!
Honestly this needs to be posted everywhere so extremely important. Thanks for sharing
These are absolutely wonderful tips and you think they would be common sense. However, the internet has a way of bringing the worst out in people.
A very serious subject and some good tips as well. You can’t take Internet safety too seriously.
In this age of Internet where so many people are using the Internet in one way or the other, and lots of bad people are trying to take advantage of this to lure or scam people, we need to take precautions. The tips shared in this article if implemented can go way further in protecting many families online.
Social media can be a toxic place, but also a great tool for businesses and connecting with people. These are great tips to protect yourself!
Your post is a real learning for me.Really appreciate as am comparatively less knowledgeable when it comes to internet security.
Social media and the internet can be so toxic. Sigh. Thanks for sharing these tips for protecting yourself and your family on the internet.
I think my new weaknesses to work on are being alert and being brave! I tend to cower back when I see things that could potentially raise a red flag but reading this is really motivational! Thank you for sharing it!
The internet is always changing, and it is good to stay up to date with things. I have to admit I’m not great about some of these things (like strong passwords), and I really should make sure that I have things squared away between my blog and other use.
So many good tips here! I don’t think internet safety is paid enough attention and I’m glad to see posts like this!
There are some very good tips on here! With the attacks getting more sophisticated, every family should apply these tips
Really great tips. The internet always come up with slick ways to scam people.
I always check the credibility of the website I allow our children to view. It’s so important to get involved in whatever it is that they’re watching online.
This is such a great topic. SO important that we teach our kids to use the internet properly fro their protection.
Nowadays when kids are consuming their time more on the internet, We parents should give them a limit on how they will use the internet
I don’t have kids, but these are awesome tips!
This is such good advice. My kids are not old enough to use the internet yet but I am concerned for this when they get older.
These are all great tips. I’m always nervous about my kids and the internet…even though they’re too young to really use it yet. These are some great ideas to keep in mind as they get older.
These are some useful tips to protect ourselves as we share more and more information online in the public.
These are all great tips and useful to all people of all ages especially since the internet seems to be the way of the world nowadays. Great post!
We wish they did more safer internet days and events for kids as its so important to get this information through to them. As parents its important to stay knowledgeable and vigilant online x
Very very interesting reading! Let’s hope in a better future! 🙁
These are some great tips. Its funny how times have changed. I remember growing up that we could only get online if no one used the phone. Lol. Now, everything involves it.
These are some really great tips! I love the way you have the tips broken down in sections. The internet can be risky to use but also beneficial!