Children are leading digital lives! As early as elementary school through high school and college, children and teenagers are using social networking, writing blogs, making videos, taking photos and creating music. They are also surfing the net, chatting on IM and Snapchat, and group texting. There is no "off" switch when it comes to cyberspace.

In our world, the Internet is often no longer a solitary or passive experience. For many children, the Internet is social. Children are using the Internet to express themselves and to experiment anonymously with different identities. While the desire to venture out on their own is age-appropriate, all kids still need parental guidance on how to conduct them safely online. 

Basics of Internet Safety

• Mark your profiles as private - anyone who accesses your profile on a social networking site can copy or screen-capture information and photos that you may not want the world to see. Never share names, schools, ages, phone numbers, or addresses. Remind your kids that when they post something online, they lose control of it. It can be cut and pasted and sent around the Web. If you teach them to self-reflect before they reveal, their online experiences are more likely to be safe.

• Keep passwords private (except to parents) - safeguard your passwords and change them frequently. If someone logs on to a site and pretends to be you, they can trash your identity.

• Don't post inappropriate or sexually provocative pictures - things that seem funny or cool to you right now might not seem so cool years from now. If teachers, admissions officers, or potential employers see inappropriate behavior on your social media pages it could be damaging for any future opportunities. A good rule of thumb is: if you don't feel comfortable if your parents saw it, it's probably not a good idea to post.

• Talk - tell a trusted adult if something mean or scary happens on the Internet. We want to make sure that kids feel safe reporting bad and dangerous behavior.

• Stop and breathe - remember nothing is short lived online. If you get the urge to react instantly to an angry IM or comment on a message board or blog, it's a good idea to wait a few minutes, calm down, and remember that the comments may stay up (with your screen name attached to your angry words) long after you've regained your composure and maybe changed your mind about posting.

Keep your children safe by finding out what they're doing online. Make sure they are behaving respectfully and responsibly. Take an active role by monitoring your child's online activity. This will help to ensure that they'll benefit from the wealth of information the web offers without being exposed to its dangers. It is crucial for parents to learn about the new types of media and social networking their children are using. This will give parents more knowledge to facilitate conversations with their kids about their online activity.

The goal is to teach our children how to be responsible digital citizen and to ultimately keep their online experiences safe and positive.