How to Stay Safe Online

Using the Internet to talk to your friends and share photos is a privilege, not a right. With privilege comes responsibility for both you and your parents. While your parents are responsible for keeping you safe, you are responsible for using websites like Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and Twitter properly, and for keeping your parents informed about what you are saying and who you are talking to online.

TrueCare can help your parents protect you from real online dangers like cyber bullying and strangers. Here’s what you can do to stay safe online:

• Trust your parents. Your parents don’t want to spy on you – they want you to be able to enjoy your favorite social websites safely. When you trust your parents to safely monitor your online activity, you can have fun online with no worries.
• Share information with only people you know. Ask your parents how to make your profile private, and be sure to only “friend” people who you know and trust.
• Be careful what photos you post online. Once you post a picture online, it can follow you around forever. Inappropriate photos can come back to haunt you in the future when you are applying for schools and jobs.
• Limit your Internet time. Facebook and MySpace are great for connecting with friends and family who live far away. But if your friends live nearby, hanging out with them in person can be much more fun.