Make sure your child is using the Internet wisely & safely
Chances are, your middle schooler relies on the Internet to do research for
school assignments. But if he doesn’t know how to judge the bad sites
from the good, he may end up wasting valuable homework time. To help him become
an intelligent Web surfer, show him how to think critically about what he
encounters online:
- Remind him to “consider the source” when looking something
up. Is it a commercial site (in other words, is it trying to sell something
or push an agenda)? Are there misspellings? Was the site last updated months
or even years ago?
- Encourage him to do what journalists do: Verify his information through
other sources. For example, if he discovers an outrageous “fact”
about the solar system on one site, he should be able to find mention of
it on other sites. That is, if it truly is a fact. (And when your child
does cite an online source in his schoolwork, be sure he gives a complete
URL, along with the author’s and publisher’s name, if available.)
- Take time to talk with him about something even more critical—online
safety. Remind him to avoid chat rooms, not to disclose any personal information
on sites requesting it, and, most importantly, that online sources—and
individuals—may be less than trustworthy.
Source: Lawrence J. Magid, “Kids Need to Learn How to Sift Out
Net Junk,” SafeTeens.com, www.safekids.com/articles/junk.htm.
(Reprinted with permission from the September 2004 issue of Parents Still
make the difference!® (Middle School Edition) newsletter. Copyright
© 2004 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc.)