HELP FOR THE FAMILY/PARENTING

How to Teach Teens Internet Safety

THE CHALLENGE

News reports give you the impression that the Internet is a haven for cyberbullies, sexual predators, and identity thieves. You are concerned for a good reason:  Your teenager is often online and seems oblivious to the dangers. 

You can teach your teenager Internet safety. First, though, consider some things you should know about life online.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Teens can access the Internet on mobile devices.  The rule that the computer should be placed in a common area of the house still has merit.  But with a tablet or smartphone connected to the Internet, your teenager may have more access to the online world than ever-and without your supervision. 

Some teens spend excessive time online. "I turn on the computer intending to check my e-mail for five minutes and end up watching videos for hours," admits a 19-year-old girl.  "I need a lot of self-control."

Teens might reveal online more than they should.  Shady people can piece together a teenager's online comments and photos to fins out such information as where he or she lives and goes to school and at what times no one in the family will be at home. 

Some teens do not understand the repercussions of what they post.  What is posted online stays online. Sometimes embarrassing comments and photos are discovered later-for example, by a prospective employer doing a background check on a job applicant.

Despite such concerns, remember this:  The Internet is not your enemy.  Rather, what leads to trouble is unwise use of the Internet.

Next time: HELP FOR THE FAMILY/PARENTING -How to Teach Teens Internet Safety 

From the jw.org publications