On Safer Internet Day, learn how we can work together for a better internet experience for all – especially our kids! This post is sponsored in partnership with Google and the Forward Influencer Network.
Safer Internet Day
How old was your child when they started using the internet? Both of my kids were 4-5 years old when they started playing educational online games on their tablets.
Today is February 5, and it’s Safer Internet Day! This is initiative was created to raise awareness for internet safety, and a call to action for all internet users and family members to join together and play their part in creating a better internet for everyone, especially for our younger users. The internet can be a fun, educational place, but spam, viruses, bullying, inappropriate ads, predators, and other negative content tend to find their way through the internet waves and directly to our children, and we’re saying NO more!
As we advance technologically, more kids than ever are using the internet and it is important that we all work together to keep them safe. Google is a major leader in the digital space, so it’s no surprise that they are leading the charge in making Safer Internet Day bigger than ever!
There are many ways we can all help make the internet safer, and Google offers many resources to support us all. The key is to teach children to create smart, healthy digital habits that can keep them safe and that they can carry with them throughout their lives. Here are some ideas to do your part in your household for a safe internet experience for all.
Working together for a better internet
- Have ongoing conversations with your children about playing it safe online. There are real dangers out there, so make sure you clearly explain this and other important reasons that the rules are made for. Follow the Be Internet Awesome tips, stay smart, alert, strong, kind, and brave, and teach your kids to think before you post and turn off the internet and games at the right time. Also, monitor their activity often and make sure they know that you are there to guide them in any situation.
- Utilize the Be Internet Awesome new Family Guide, Google’s awesome, free tool that provides resources to learn about online safety and digital citizenship at home. Packed with fun ideas, this guide is perfect to keep the digital safety conversation going and helps to establish internet rules, etiquette, and ultimately, a safer internet experience. You can also play Google’s Interland game together, and put your kids’ internet safety skills to the test!
- Use the Google FamilyLink app to keep the family on track for safe use. This guides children and teens to the appropriate content you would like them to access, manages apps and the time used on each one, monitors older kids’ locations, and even locks their device when you choose, ultimately setting digital ground rules for everyone. Learn more and download FamilyLink here: https://families.google.com/familylink/
Safer Internet Day – Raising Awareness to Be Internet Awesome!
It is so important that we prepare our children for a safe, healthy digital experience! Celebrate Safer Internet Day with us by visiting Be Internet Awesome for Families online, playing the Interland game, sharing Google’s resource with your child’s teacher, and having conversations with your children about online safety. Here are some quick tips for a safer internet from the Be Internet Awesome team, enjoy your day!
Learn more about Google’s Be Internet Awesome initiative
Website: g.co/BeInternetAwesomeFamilies
Facebook: https://facebook.com/GoogleForEducation
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/google/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoogleforEdu
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