Grandparents

Rule!

W

hether you have grandkids (or grand
nieces or nephews) that live at a
distance — or you’re a child’s care giver — it’s
important that you understand what those kids
and teens are doing online and how you can
interact with them online and help them stay
safer.

Kids may understand the technology better
than you, but many of the risks online have
nothing to do with technology and everything
to do with human nature. Your life experience
is an invaluable asset because you understand
human behavior better and have many more
years of experience in interacting safely in the
world.

Some of the advice we provide in this chapter
for helping kids stay safe is similar to advice
we give you throughout this book, but here we
put the emphasis on the specific risks for
younger people you should be aware of, sug-
gest ways to discuss online safety in a positive,
nonconfrontational manner, and outline skills
that help keep kids and teens safer. Finally, we
provide advice about protecting your own pri-
vacy when kids use your computer.

11

In this chapter...

➟Understand How Kids Use

the Internet........................212

➟Checklist for Online

Family Safety ....................213

➟Help Protect Grandchildren

Using E-Mail ....................216

➟Help Create Safe Instant

Messaging Experiences ......217

➟Stay Safer on Social

Networking Sites ..............219

➟Understand Exposure in

Quizzes and Surveys ........225

➟Understand the Act of

Cyberbullying....................234

➟Six Steps to Avoid and

Prevent Cyberbullying ........235

➟What to Do If Your Grandchild

Is Cyberbullied ..................237

➟Talk to Kids about Sexual

Predators ..........................239

➟If You Think Your Grandchild

Is Being Groomed..............241

➟Report Sexual Abuse ..........242

➟Use Software to Keep

Grandkids Safer ................243

➟Protect Yourself As Well ......244

➟

Chapter