BBB offers tips to keep kids safe on Internet

Experts recommend setting rules on sharing photos, information

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — June is Internet Safety Month, and a statewide organization wants to make sure kids are especially careful when they surf the web.

A recent survey from the National Cyber Security Alliance showed 74% of parents don’t monitor their child’s online activities. The Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin is hoping to change that by releasing an “Internet Safety Checklist” to help keep kids safe while they’re online.

They recommend checking the privacy settings of any social media profiles, making sure you know which games and apps your kids use on their computers or phones, setting rules about what kinds of photos or information about themselves can be shared online and explaining the importance of not chatting with someone they don’t know in real life.

Kristi Strelow from The Parenting Place in La Crosse says you should constantly keep those conversations going.

“First and foremost, parents should keep an open dialogue with their children about what their children are using the Internet for and how they’re using it,” said Strelow. “Their executive functioning, their prefrontal cortex is not developed to a point where they can truly understand the repercussions for their actions.”

Survey results show 46% of young people would change their online habits if they knew their parents were paying attention.