➟ Talk to teens about who they communicate with and
what they talk about. Set boundaries that match your
family’s values and your grandchild’s age, reassessing
these boundaries periodically as your grandchild
matures or wants to begin using new services.➟ Caution them not to list their e-mail addresses pub-
licly or respond to e-mail from people they don’t per-
sonally know.➟ Teach them to ignore all sweepstakes and any quiz
that asks them to enter their e-mail address They
should always guard their e-mail account information.Help your grandchild understand that use of any
online service, and access to additional features within
those services, is a privilege that requires mastery of
new skills and a commitment to new responsibilities.
Agree upon ground rules for safe use of services prior
to expanding your grandchild’s venture into new areas
or use of new devices.Learn more about e-mail safety
in Chapter 5.Help Create Safe Instant Messaging Experiences
Instant messaging (IM) is primarily done from a computer, although it
can also be done through some mobile (cell) phone services. IM allows
people to interact online in real time, sending short messages back and
forth, something like a text-based phone call. Here are some tips to help
keep younger children and teens safer when they use instant messaging:➟ For younger children, use services that allow you to
limit your grandchildren’s contacts so that they can
send IM or text messages to only people you both
know.217Chapter 11: Grandparents Rule!