It's safe to say that most adults have heard a horror story or two about kids and online safety. Whether it's talking to strangers in chat rooms, or posting photos that now, or years from now, they will regret sharing, being safe and smart online is something we're all learning to navigate. For young people, it can be especially challenging.
We discovered a blog last week, written by April Requard, (Twitter: @AprilRequard), that includes great information for anyone interested in online safety. But especially for those with young children (or teens), it could easily be considered a must-read.
April lists the most popular apps that teens are using and explains why parents need to know about them. She includes photos of what the apps look like on a phone or mobile device. She goes on to illustrate for parents how to enable restrictions on an iPhone/iPad. She even includes a quick lesson on secret apps, and how to find them on your child's phone. Note: she is primarily a Mac person, so her examples are, not surprisingly, Mac-based. But the concepts translate to Androids or other phones and devices.
Just as generations of parents have taught their children not to talk to strangers, it's likely that future generations will continue to stress the danger of chatting online with strangers. The lessons may not change much from one generation to the next, but with great resources like this one, parents can be armed with solid information and use it to help teach kids about staying safe.
Check out her blog at http://tiny.cc/9geksy.