Staying Safe Online – Top Ten Tips

While device use is inevitable for so many of our young men, there are some simple conversation topics for you and your son to ensure they stay safe and have a positive online experience.

Remember, open communication is key to having a healthy relationship with your son.  If your son knows he can talk to you about what he is seeing (good or bad) without the fear of getting in trouble you are on the right track.

1. Explore together. If your son is keen to play a new game or download an app, make sure you have a go of it too.
2. Stay close by. When playing on a device, make sure your son is nearby and the screen is easily visible
3. Ask permission. Ensure your son knows that he must always ask permission before downloading or installing anything
4. Keep personal information private. While this may seem obvious to us, it’s important to make sure your son knows to never share his address, phone number, passwords or school details.
5. Check privacy settings. Make sure you’ve set up the relevant privacy settings on all devices (not just his phone)
6. Cyberbullying. Talk to your son about what it is and what to do if they see it. Make sure they know not to respond or forward the message and to come to you or a trusted adult for advice
7. If they see something they don’t like, let them know who they can talk to about what they’ve seen
8. If they receive a message from someone they don’t know, let them know they should tell you straight away
9. Only ‘friend’ or add people they know in real life. Remind your son that not everyone online is who they say they are so don’t accept friend requests of followers they don’t know
10. Don’t meet up with online friends. If your son is friends with people online they don’t know in real life, remind them to never meet up with these people in person.

Thanks to the eSafety Commissioner for the top tips

Brought to you by Brighton Grammar School