Digiteen

Use a secure password: not your date of birth, vehicle registration, telephone number or anything associated with you that someone might easily guess.

I'm sure by now you have all realized that the Internet is not always the safest place to give out personal information.

being smart is NOT enough to protect yourself from dangerous Internet scams, frustrating spam, or devious identity theft

Internet threats continue to pose a problem for anyone that surfs the Internet

Despite school policies restricting mobile phone usage, students use the phone frequently, with the majority making calls from the toilets.

Over 60% of the respondents admitted to being “very” or “quite” addicted to the internet, while over 50% are addicted to their mobile phones. The report also revealed that students spend, on average, 1-2 hours a day on social network sites.

You may be "shedding" personal details, including e-mail addresses and other contact information, without even knowing it

Personal firewalls and security software packages (

Be Careful What You Download

Don't Respond to Emails Requesting Personal Information

Internet Safety Ask Questions The best form of Online Safety begins at home with you, the parent. We offer you the following tips to keep your child safe on the Internet. The best way to know what your child is doing online is to ask. Whether you ask other parents, an Internet-savvy friend, or your child about how they use the Internet asking the right questions will help you understand what your child is doing online so you can make sure they are making safe online choices. Questions to ask your child: What sites do you visit? What do you do on those sites? Why do you go to that site? How much time do you spend on the site? Did you have to register? What information did they ask for? What information did you give? Spend time surfing the Web with your child. This is a great way to learn about what types of interactions your child is having online, and with whom.

These teens, when they receive a text, feel they must respond to it right away.

In addition, 12 percent of all students are able to have cell phones at school anytime during the day; 62 percent of students are allowed a cell phone at school, but not in class; 64 percent of teens have texted in class; 24 percent attend schools that ban cell phones from school grounds, but 65 percent bring their phones to school anyway.

The Obama administration is pushing to make it easier for the government to tap into internet and e-mail communications. But the plan has already drawn condemnation from privacy groups and communications firms may be wary of its costs and scope.

One such popular defense tool is a virtual world game called Boarders Ahoy!.

The United States Secret Service is also leveraging the training power of virtual worlds to prepare for national threats.

First-response teams, such as the police and fire departments, are using simulation games to practice dangerous tasks that would otherwise require risky re-enactments.

Safety By Age 14 to about 17: This can be one of the most exciting and challenging periods of a child's (and parent's) life. Your teen is beginning to mature physically, emotionally, and intellectually and is anxious to experience increasing independence from parents. To some extent that means loosening up on the reins, but by no means does it mean abandoning your parenting role. Teens are complicated in that they demand both independence and guidance at the same time. Teens are also more likely to engage in risky behavior both online and offline. While the likelihood of a teen being abducted by someone he meets in a chat room is extremely low, there is always the possibility that he will meet someone online who makes him feel good and makes him want to strike up an in-person relationship. It is extremely important that teens understand that people they meet online are not necessarily who they seem to be. Although it's sometimes difficult to indoctrinate teens with safety information, they can often understand the need to be on guard against those who might exploit them. Teens need to understand that to be in control of themselves means being vigilant, on the alert for people who might hurt them. The greatest danger is that a teen will get together offline with someone she meets online. If she does meet someone she wants to get together with, it's important that she not go alone and that she meet that person in a public place. It's important for parents to remember what it was like when they were teenagers. Set reasonable expectations and don't overreact if and when you find out that your teen has done something online that you don't approve of. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't take it seriously and exercise appropriate control and discipline, but pick your battles and try to look at the bigger picture. If your teen confides in you about something scary or inappropriate that he encountered online, your first response shouldn't be to take away his Internet privileges. Try to be supportive and work with your teen to help prevent this from happening in the future. And remember that your teen will soon be an adult and needs to know not just how to behave but how to exercise judgment, reaching her own conclusions on how to explore the Net and life in general in a safe and productive manner.

Place reasonable limits on computer usage.

Adhere to your imposed computer usage limits.

Consider why you are using the computer if your usage becomes excessive. Boredom, anxiety, and depression

Virtual reality (VR) is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds.

There has been an increase in interest in the potential social impact of new technologies, such as virtual reality.

Talk with your child about his/her excessive computer usage

Move the computer to an open area if it’s not already in one – sometimes taking it out of the child’s bedroom is sufficient to reduce their computer usage, and it makes it easier to monitor their usage.

Set a password for the computer so that only you can log on to it