Major advances in technology over the last three decades have significantly changed how we communicate with each other, especially through the Internet. Today, children are surrounded by technology. From a young age, they learn how to use the Internet and how to be more tech-savvy than many of the adults in their lives. However, being tech-savvy and knowing how to use the Internet doesn’t always mean that children understand how to stay safe online.
It’s important for children to understand the potential impact of their online activity, especially those who participate in an independent study educational program, like Compass Charter Schools’ (CCS) online program. Scholars must know how to stay safe when using the Internet for school or personal reasons. Here are a few ways to help keep scholars safe while they are online:
Avoid Sharing Personal Information
Scholars and their families should always avoid sharing their personal information like their home address, phone number, email address and other important information in public areas on the Internet. Places like social media or chat rooms, even the comments of a YouTube video are all public areas that everyone on the Internet has access to. When interacting with other people online, you should avoid sharing your personal information for security reasons. You never know who is reading your comments, posts or chats and you definitely don’t want the wrong person to come across your sensitive, personal information. Instruct children that sharing personal information online, even to people they know, should be avoided. Recommend picking up the phone and calling (not texting) when they need to provide personal information to a friend or family member.
Never Share Your Passwords
Online passwords were created to lock up our important information and keep it safe. It’s critical that scholars and their families keep all of their passwords private. Always avoid sharing your passwords in public places on the Internet. You should even avoid sharing them with your family and close friends. A variety of problems could happen if you share your passwords with other people like identity theft. If you share your passwords with someone else you are giving them unlimited access to your personal information, which they could accidentally share with more people, or they could use your personal information for the wrong reasons. Overall, it’s always best to keep your passwords private and secure.
Use Your Email Wisely
Scholars should always talk with their parents before opening an email attachment or clicking on a link within an email. Emails can be a place for online viruses to enter and attack your computer, and sometimes those viruses can even steal your personal information. It’s important to remember that not everyone using the Internet is trustworthy. Always proceed with caution when viewing your emails and opening any attachments. Scholars should never open an email attachment or click on a link within an email from someone that they don’t know.
Use Caution When Installing Software
It’s critical that scholars talk with their parents and ask permission before installing any new software on their computer. Parents should review the software and verify that it is part of a trusted website or CD. If you’re unsure about a particular new software, consult an IT expert in your local community or at your school. It’s important to use this level of caution because not all software is safe. Some software is created by hackers that may want to attack your computer and gain access to your personal information. There are, however, plenty of fun, safe software that you can install for your scholars to use.
Ignore Offensive Messages
Unfortunately, cyberbullying is a problem that many children face. Scholars must know that not everyone using the Internet has good intentions. If they receive any private messages or emails with offensive or insulting comments they should tell their parents or a teacher right away. Children should never respond to mean messages on the Internet, and instead talk with their families and ask for help. Parents should be prepared to have open and honest conversations with their children about cyberbullying and support them through these difficult experiences. Parents should consider speaking with their scholar’s teachers or counselors for advice or to pursue further action, if necessary. It’s critical that scholars avoid responding to negative comments and it’s essential that they feel supported when facing cyberbullying.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
David Brasch is the IT Coordinator for Compass Charter Schools (CCS), and provides IT support to our scholars, learning coaches, and staff. He has worked in IT for 15 years in a variety of industries, and every year he participates in training, and certification programs to stay updated with current technology trends. Have a question about the support we provide our scholars at Compass Charter Schools? Explore our website, or contact our enrollment team at enrollment@compasscharters.org or (877) 506-8631.