It's important that you talk to your kids about Internet safety. Children and Internet safety are two words that need to go hand and hand as we move further into the information age. The world used to be a huge place but the World Wide Web has made it infinitely smaller. It's harder to protect your children from harm the potential harm that can come from revealing too much information online when you have no idea who the potential predators might be. There are many dangers lurking in Cyber Space make sure your child knows them all.

While predators take up the lion's share, rightfully so, of parental concern there are new dangers lurking online that you need to be aware of. You definitely need to talk to your kids about Internet safety not only from strangers and predators but also from a relatively new phenomenon known as cyber bullying. There have already been many cases reported of children committing suicide over cyber bullies. Make sure your children know what to look for to identify any of these problems and how to respond if problems do arise.

You are your child's first line of defense against the potential dangers of being online. Make sure you have this vital discussion and talk to your kids about Internet safety before a problem arises. It is much easier to instill positive social networking values and practices from the very beginning rather than playing catch up and trying to break bad habits or deal with the fallout of a bad situation after the fact. You need to make sure it is understood that you are the master of the Internet in your home and that time online is a privilege rather than an inherent right.

In addition to taking the time to talk to your child about internet safety there are a few actions you need to take as well. First, limit the amount of time your child is allowed to spend online daily. Second, monitor the activities of your child online. Third, find a safe place for your child to be online where you are not afraid to allow your child the social interaction and cultural exchange that social networking provides. Finally, stay on top of the latest technology so that you can keep up with what your child is doing online. The more you know about what your child is doing online the better able you are to protect your child from harm.