Look Both Ways Internet Safety FAQ
Get answers to the questions people ask me most often---the answers below are a good place to start to learn how to stay safe as you surf the Web. For more detail and background, read Look Both Ways: Help protect your family on the Internet.
When should I start talking with my children about Internet safety?
What can I do help me and my family safer on the Internet?
Is it safe to post pictures online?
How do I choose a good content filter or parental control?
How do I decide if my blog should be public or private?
Are some Internet services safer than others?
How do I create a safer email or IM name or gamer tag?
What do I do if I find child pornography online?
What do I do if my child is being threatened online?
When should I start talking with my children about Internet safety?
Before they use the Internet. And when they do start, talk about Internet safety in the same matter of fact way you talk about other safety issues.
In the early practice phases, keep a close eye on your children's activities just as you supervised their first bike rides, first use of a sharp knife, or driving practice. As they gather experience, together you can decide how much supervision is appropriate based on their ages and demonstrated safe mastery of the tools. If you don't know the risks of the program or services your kids are using, ask them to teach you or explore them together. Read "Seven basic safety tips to help keep kids safer online."
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What can I do help me and my family safer on the Internet?
Check out my list of a dozen things you can do.
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Is it safe to post pictures online?
For the most part, yes. The risks are in what photos you post, and who has access to them. If you're only sharing pictures with close friends and trusted family, your risk is relatively low. If you're sharing with a broader network or the public, remember that you never know where it will be sent once you've posted it, so think about what the picture shows about you or family members:
- Does it identify an individual? Show mood or vulnerability?
- Does it attract the wrong kind of attention or help someone find you?
- Would you care if everyone on the Internet saw this picture? Would it haunt you at your wedding? Would it be OK for your grandson to see it one day? Could it hurt your chances to get a job or into college?
To learn more about posting photos safely, see Chapter 1 ("Be Careful What you Show People") in Look Both Ways.
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How do I choose a good content filter or parental control?
As a parent, there are many tools-some free, some not-that you can use to guide your children to a safer Internet experience. These include parental controls, software that can monitor your child's activity or prevent them from posting personal information, and filters that screen sexually explicit images. Look for ease of use, the ability to customize the settings, and one that has the features you value.
- Use Tools for Families on GetNetWise.org to find the parental control that's best for your family. These range from complete spying tools that will record every keystroke your child (or anyone else ) makes online to less invasive programs that will give you the ability to limit contacts, monitor usage reports, block access to certain Web sites, and the like.
- Check the Internet Filter Review for a thorough comparison of a comprehensive list of content filters to help you fight unwanted porn.
How do I decide if my blog should be public or private?
There are two key considerations when you create a blog-what information you want to share and who you want to share it with. Think of a sliding scale. The more personal or identifiable the information , the fewer people should see it. If you want your blog to be public, only disclose what you want everyone on the Internet (the public) to know. Otherwise, keep your blog private. Get eight tips for safer blogging.
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Are some Internet services safer than others?
Yes.
- Some services provide more safety messaging, better privacy protections, and more choices in their settings, so you can set the safety levels to reflect your values.
- Some companies turn on safer settings by default-for example, a blogging services limits interactions to your close friends by default and then lets you choose if you want to expand that list of contacts.
- Some companies provide more abuse prevention tools like image filtering.
So always check the features, policies, and safety levels of any service you or your children want to use. If you don't see the safety level you want, switch services- and let the company know why you did.
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How do I create a safer email or IM name or gamer tag?
Create a name that doesn't give away personal information. (And help your child do this, too.)
- Pick a name that doesn't help identify you or help someone find you. For example, SusieDoe_14_small_town@google.com.au reveals enough for someone to find Susie-her name, age, and small town in Australia.
- Avoid flirtatious names like "2sexy4U" or "I_like_handcuffs" which may cause unwanted attention and expose you to greater risk.
Get safety savvy with e-mail by reading ten tips for safer e-mailing.
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What do I do if I find child pornography online?
It is illegal to copy, save, forward, or otherwise possess child pornography. Report it immediately following the guidelines given to you.
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What do I do if my child is being threatened online?
First, comfort your child and be supportive. Then:
- If the threat is serious, it may be appropriate to speak to the offender or the offender's parents or go directly to law enforcement. If it is school-related, report it to your child's school.
- You may want to contact your service provider and ask for their assistance-a quality provider will take immediate steps to help you.
- When in doubt, contact your law enforcement agency. Never risk your safety.
Read more about how to protect your child from online exploitation.
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