Its graduation time, and smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and laptops are tops on many kids’ wish lists. Whether your child is graduating from preschool or college, it’s never too late to talk with them about online safety before you hand over the new device.
- Set clear rules for young children about who they can talk to, text, or play games with.
- With older kids, discuss online bullying, sexting, and the dangers of using a phone while driving.
- Have kids lock all devices and accounts with a PIN or strong password, and remind them to keep their passwords secret—even from best friends.
- Talk to kids about limiting the personal information they share to close friends only.
- Consider disabling the location services on your young child’s devices; at the very least, turn it off for any camera.
- Teach tweens and teens to use location-based services cautiously.
For more guidelines on kids and online safety, see Digital gift-giving checklist, and download a printable version of the checklist (PDF, 186 KB).
Categories: child safety, college, family, gaming console, graduation, location services, online bullying, passwords, PIN, smartphone, tablet, texting while driving, Windows Phone Tags:
Its graduation time, and smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and laptops are tops on many kids’ wish lists. Whether your child is graduating from preschool or college, it’s never too late to talk with them about online safety before you hand over the new device.
- Set clear rules for young children about who they can talk to, text, or play games with.
- With older kids, discuss online bullying, sexting, and the dangers of using a phone while driving.
- Have kids lock all devices and accounts with a PIN or strong password, and remind them to keep their passwords secret—even from best friends.
- Talk to kids about limiting the personal information they share to close friends only.
- Consider disabling the location services on your young child’s devices; at the very least, turn it off for any camera.
- Teach tweens and teens to use location-based services cautiously.
For more guidelines on kids and online safety, see Digital gift-giving checklist, and download a printable version of the checklist (PDF, 186 KB).
Categories: child safety, college, family, gaming console, graduation, location services, online bullying, passwords, PIN, smartphone, tablet, texting while driving, Windows Phone Tags:
It’s graduation season, so whether you’re graduating or your child is, here are some safety tips for what’s ahead.
1. Spot and avoid job-hunting scams. Paper resumés are going the way of the dodo, so graduates (or anyone searching for a job) should be careful about how much personal information they put online and should learn how to avoid job hunting scams. For more information, see Online job-hunting scams.
2. Protect your new computer. If you got a new computer for graduation, be sure it has reputable antivirus software to protect against malware. To learn what else you need to do before you go online with a new computer, see How to boost your malware defense and protect your PC.
3. Secure your smartphone. A phone that lets you surf the Internet, download apps, and take and send pictures is a great gift for high school or college graduates. Learn how to help keep the information on your phone more secure.
4. Manage your online reputation. More and more employers check Facebook pages and other online information before they hire applicants. Learn how to take charge of your online reputation.
5. Use Microsoft Office more safely. You probably already know that Microsoft Office includes useful tools for graduates. But did you know it can also help protect your computer from viruses and fraud? For more information, see Security in Microsoft Office 2010.
