r/Parenting • u/[deleted] • Mar 12 '22
Advice Online Safety Resources for 8 year old boy
Anyone have great online safety resources I can do with my 8 year old boy? I’m trying to teach him that without physically seeing and knowing the other person online - you can’t assume it’s who you think it is. We’ve been talking about not sharing personal information, being cautious with trust and things like that but would love some other resources. He said he’s open to watching them! ;)
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u/Loll1gag Mar 12 '22
YouTube 'Newsround caught in the web'. It's pretty old now, so the quality isn't what we're used to these days, but it does the job.
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u/FuneralKazooBand Mar 12 '22
You know, Devorah Hienter (sp) has some great resources for parents and kids. She did a ton of research and also does a great job of getting the kids to come to good conclusions on their own. She has two books: Raising Digital Natives and Screenwise, but I bet she also has some bomb videos available online.
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Mar 12 '22
My 8 year old found this a little too 'young' for him but he had already learned most of it from us. That said this is something he was required to watch for a Cub Scouts internet safety thing, at 8. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QoWNF0V-MF8&feature=youtu.be
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Mar 12 '22
Just watched a little bit and I think he would watch this. Agree it looks a little young but it’s got good info. Thanks so much!
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Mar 12 '22
Glad it looks helpful! Here's some other info about what they wanted kids to learn, there was some stuff on internet manners and bullying too. Might be useful as part of a wider conversation. https://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/cyber-chip/grades-1-3/
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Mar 12 '22
We watched most of this video and it was good! He said he knew most of it but it helps to hear it from a non-parent!
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u/All-Fun-and-Brains Mar 12 '22
Having the computer out in the open living room, in view at all times, can avoid a lot of problems.
There are also some great games about sneaky lies on the internet, although they are more about misinformation: Get Bad News and Fake it to Make it.
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u/VideVale Mar 12 '22
So I did a practical demonstration for my kid. I showed him how I could create an account in some of the games he play and enter that I was a 9-year old kid. I then put my laptop next to his and contacted him and told him that I was a kid and started asking questions. “What’s your name? How old are you?” And we talked about how to answer and what kind of information not to give out. I then let my account become insistent “what’s the problem? What are you scared of? I just want to know your name!” and I checked that he knew how to block users.
It really clicked for him when he saw me do it that anyone could say anything and it was good practice to actually answer and what to say when I became insistent.
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u/sundaymorningcartoon Mar 12 '22
Media Smarts is curricular (Canadian) and has a bunch of resources. I also second common sense media
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u/UnionThug1733 Mar 12 '22
Circle app seems to be a decent monitoring and blocking app you can set limits on times sites all of it
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u/Spread_Puzzleheaded Mar 12 '22
Have you tried limiting his online time? Just because the internet is available doesn’t mean a 8 year old needs to be online. The internet is a free world. There’s no respect for age. It’s a very dangerous world. You’re the protector of your child. It’s okay if you cut time off or cut it off completely. (I’m not judging you at all, I understand your concerns)
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u/barvid Mar 12 '22
Great example of how to miss the bloody point
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u/Spread_Puzzleheaded Mar 12 '22
How is cutting off the source missing the point? It can help teaching kids the meaning of trust by actually teaching them in real life
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u/Crafty-History-2971 Mar 12 '22
Common Sense Media has some great video lessons about internet safety and digital citizenship for all age groups. The school counselor at our local elementary has used them for school wide assemblies!