Your teenage children are not only consuming all types of media across the Internet; they are actively creating it, by uploading, downloading, texting, posting to social media, using apps, playing online games, and participating in the virtual world. With these activities come risk and potential consequences. 

Being a good digital citizen requires that your child practice Internet safety; this means trusting their “gut” by knowing when certain behaviors online begin to cross the line from appropriate to inappropriate. This also means thinking twice before posting anything to the Internet that could be considered questionable. One thing we want your child to always keep in mind is that in most cases, everything that is posted to the Internet does not simply go away, or disappear. It will still be accessible, years later, and could potentially be an embarrassment to your child, or the people they know.

Questions Your Teens Need to Ask Themselves:

• Do I treat others online with the same respect I would treat them in person? 
• Would my parents be disappointed in me if they examined my online behavior?
• Does my online behavior accurately reflect who I am away from the computer?
• Could my online behavior affect my future college enrollment and/or employment opportunities?
• How could my online behavior affect my current and future personal relationships?   

• Your Social Security number
• Debit/credit card numbers
• Usernames and passwords (for everything!)
• Physical address
• Cell and Home Phone numbers