Technology is a part of almost all aspects of our lives, from managing our healthcare to interacting with others through social media platforms. Social media can be a great way for adults and teens to keep in touch and be a part of each other’s lives. However, there are also dangers that can arise, and many different avenues can target children online.

Below are some tips to monitor your child’s safety while online:

1. Monitor your child’s social media sites. Ensure that they are not posting things that could land them in trouble one day. Career Builder did a study on how many employers view their candidate’s social media outlets before hiring. The study showed that “37 percent of hiring mangers use social media outlets to research job applicants.”
   
   
2. Ask your child: “What does Instagram (or Facebook, Twitter, etc.) say about you?” Many people might view your profile who do not personally know you. How would you like them to view you as a person?
   
   
3. Tell your child not to give out his or her username or password to anybody. Sharing passwords with friends may seem fun, but they could post things that could get you expelled from school … or worse.
   
   
4. Tell your child not to give out any personal information, such as home address, where you go to school, summer camp, etc. Predators search for things like this, and you definitely do not want to make it easy for them to find you.
   
   
5. Tell your teen to never agree to meet up with somebody who they met on the internet. Many predators set up fake profiles online and will lie about who they are. If they must meet the person, insist that you go along for emergency purposes.
   

These are just a few basic internet safety tips for parents of teens, but it is always important that parents constantly monitor their children’s posts to ensure that they are appropriate and safe.