NetSmartzKids.com
Children use the Internet with increasing frequency, and parents may be concerned about their access to inappropriate content. NetSmartzKids.com is a fun way to teach children how to be safe while surfing the web, and is a great resource for children, parents, and educators.
The site is an interactive, educational safety resource from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and is designed for for children ages 5 to 17, their parents, guardians, educators, and law enforcement.
The site’s goal is to help children recognize dangers on the Internet, to report victimization to a trusted adult, and to increase communication between children and adults about online safety.
The NetSmartz Workshop teaches children the rules for online safety: “I will tell an adult I trust if anything makes me feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused; I will ask my parents or guardian before sharing my personal information; and I won’t meet in person with anyone I have first ‘met’ online.”
The site contains videos designed to educate children about what to avoid on the Internet: what to do if they encounter content that makes them uncomfortable, if anyone asks for personal information, the importance of protecting passwords, and other lessons in personal safety. The site does not link to any external sources, so parents can trust that the site is child-safe.
Users can play games, download wallpaper and music files, send safe e-cards, and email different characters from the site.
Parents can be assured that the games and activities children encounter on this site are not only educational, but they are secure, so this is a terrific site to introduce to children since it is never too early to start learning about Internet safety.