Email has become a fact of life. It affords instant communication and the ability to attach and send documents, homework, and photos.
Email is the easiest form of communication for parents to manage for their kids. The beauty of emails — from a parenting point of view — is that they're searchable (if you know your kid's address and password, that is). Some access providers have kids-only email sites — AOL has KOL, and Yahoo has Yahooligans. Both these sites have great filters that stop spammers from jamming your kid's inbox full of inappropriate ads. Email is a great way for kids to keep in touch with their friends and families and is fine for kids 8 and older. Make sure they write their grandparents while they're at it.
Once kids start communicating online, hazards arise. Spam, spyware, and viruses that come in email attachments forwarded by well-meaning kids can destroy a computer. Kids should never open attachments from someone they don't know.
Make sure your kids know never to email someone they don't know or give their real names or email addresses to anyone online. People might not be who the kids think they are.
Common Sense Tips for Communicating:
- Never reveal personal information. No real names, birth dates, phone numbers, addresses, or anything identifiable in profiles or blogs. Screen names should be gender neutral.
Explain the dangers: 1 out of every 5 kids gets sexually solicited online. - Never meet a stranger. Ever. No talking, no meeting, no way. Make sure your kids know that if someone contacts them, attempts to meet them, or tries turn them against you or their teachers, that these are alerts, and they should tell you right away.
- Establish codes of conduct. If your kids wouldn't say something to someone's face, then they shouldn't put it in an IM or email. That means no cyber bullying. Emailing an embarrassing picture of someone is a form of cyber bullying!
- Be careful with passwords. That means no password sharing. Sharing a password with a friend is like sharing a germ — it doesn't spread anything good. Ask your kids for their passwords. The older ones may not want to give them to you (citing privacy — that's up to you), but for middle schoolers and younger, it's AOK for you to be able to check for inappropriate or dangerous communications.
- Set limits on time and use. For younger kids, have the computer in a central place. Draw clear boundaries: Whether it's no IM during homework or no email behind closed doors, make rules. Preferably before the computer turns on.
