Your parents might have told you to be careful when going online, that it is not a totally safe place, and they are right. Not to frighten you, but the Internet is home to some pretty bad stuff – there are creepy websites that can put bad ideas in your head or force you into bad habits, as well as mean and dangerous people who may end up hurting you.
But the best thing to remember is: Bad things will only happen online if you let them. This Internet Safety guide has a great list of resources that can help you identify the worst Internet threats.
Online Safety Tips
Follow the tips below and you will stay safe from both physical danger and emotional harm.
Top 10 Tips for Staying Safe Online – A short but very useful list of things to remember when you are online. The lesson here is that you can never be too careful.
Kids Rules for Online Safety – Print out this list of rules, go to your parents and read this oath to them. And more importantly, keep by your promises. It will not be easy but you will be rewarded with your parents’ trust and peace of mind.
Being SMART Rules! – Staying safe online has a spiffy acronym – SMART. Easy to remember, right? Feel free to click around to play some of their cool games that make it fun for you to learn internet safety.
10 Online Safety Rules with Video – Sloane and her friend, cool and bright kids just like you, share what they know about staying safe online. Play the video to hear their thoughts and advice.
Iggey and Rasper’s Tips for Internet Safety – Very simple to follow tips. You are probably doing half of them now, so the best thing to do is to keep on practicing these safety reminders even when your parents are not looking.
Internet Safety Games
Can’t be bothered to read long lists? The try playing these games! A few hours with these fun games and you will be better prepped for Internet nasties than most other kids.
Stop That Post and Other Games – These simple browser games will teach you the basics of online safety. Our favorite is the Stop That Post game (which already has a sequel that is equally addictive!)
Safety Land – Help Captain Broadband track down and defeat the nasty character that has been sending yucky emails, among other despicable things. This crime-fighting game puts you in the right mindset of always looking out for and staying away from Internet creeps.
Internet Safety Game – Press the yellow “Click to Play” button to start the game. A few plays of this colorful game and you will have a grasp of Internet safety as well as the proper manners when going online.
Webonauts Internet Academy – If you want an easy game with great graphics, then this is it. As an astronaut-in-training, the game will take you through a fantastic space ride. You can pick up a lot of great tips that will impress your parents and put them at ease.
Alan’s Online Gaming Safety Challenge – Take this witty quiz to find out if you know how to stay safe while playing World of Warcraft and other online games. There is no punishment if you get everything wrong, but feel free to brag about getting about everything right to your friends and parents. They will be impressed!
Internet Safety Videos
Here are several of our favorite cartoons and animated films that talk about Internet safety in a simple, fun and often hilarious way.
Safety Bots: Stuart and Scout – Meet Stuart the Safety Bot and his trusty pal Scout who will tell you all about the online safety. Who knew safety bots could be so helpful and amusing at the same time?
Help Packet the Rabbit – The fuzzy and super cute Packet the Rabbit likes to jump around the Internet, but can he stay safe jumping through all those Internet hazards? Find out and maybe even help him along!
Internet Safety for Kids – Spend seven minutes watching this award-winning video to learn the essentials of Internet safety. These were made by super cool teachers who want you to protect you and also inspire you to keep on your best behavior when logging online.
NetSafe Episode – This series of videos (there are more than a dozen videos) is one of the best out there. Seriously, this is something you should watch and even share with your school because of how well it explains the Internet and how it can harm you. For example, you will learn about why cyber bullying happens and how to get help for this very serious problem. Or if you are a cyber bully, then you will also get tips on how to be kinder online.
