Tips for Teaching Your Kids About Information Privacy
The current generation is growing up alongside the latest technology, which means they have access to the internet earlier than ever. Rather than trying to separate your children from technology, help them learn how to use it responsibly. Here are tips for teaching your kids about information privacy and where to start.
Help Them Understand Personal Versus Private
Information privacy can be difficult to teach to young kids, who tend to share everything that crosses their minds. However, children who access the internet and use smart devices must understand which information they can share and which must stay private.
For example, ensure your children understand that they should never share information such as their home or school address, phone numbers, or full name with strangers online. They should also know to never share this information or documents containing it with strangers they encounter in person.
Use Built-In Privacy Settings
Many up-to-date devices and apps provide privacy settings that help you manage the information your kids can share online. Consider limiting location tracking on your children’s devices so certain social media apps won’t be able to display their locations. As you enable these settings, talk to your kids and walk them through the importance of these settings and why they should be conservative with the information they share.
If you try to enable privacy settings and features without them knowing, it could lead to a lack of trust on both ends. This is why you must maintain open communication about information privacy and the features that they should use to help promote it.
Encourage Kids To Make Their Own Passwords (With Supervision)
Making up passwords for your kids will only get them so far. They will be less likely to remember passwords you generate for them, which can be frustrating for everyone involved. Instead, turn password creation into a collaborative effort. This will help your children understand the importance of creating strong, secure passwords that are harder for hackers to guess. Remind your kids to keep their passwords safe and only share them with trusted friends and family with your permission. These are the first steps to developing good password management habits.
Teach Kids the Importance of Safe Document Handling
Information privacy is also applicable once kids log off their computers, smartphones, or tablets. Remind your kids that they should always be careful when sharing passwords and information through writing. If this information falls into the wrong hands, it could get your whole family locked out of your electronics or various accounts. This is why you should teach them how to use a paper shredder safely. Doing so will also serve as a reminder for your whole household to follow proper data destruction rules and invest in a quality paper shredder machine.
Use these tips for teaching your kids about information privacy to educate your whole family and ensure everyone is on the same page. Open and clear communication is crucial to developing healthy technology habits and ensuring your child’s safety online and offline.
