Teen Internet Guidelines

The Internet has become as social an environment as schools, giving teenagers a place to connect not only with their peers, but other teenagers around the world with similar interests. Although the Internet isn't necessarily the cesspool of predators that people commonly believe, there is inherent danger if your teen is disclosing private information or meeting up with strangers online -- especially if those strangers bleed over into your teen's real life. Set guidelines to ensure your teen's safety online.

Stress Importance of Privacy

• The biggest danger to anyone on the Internet is in not safeguarding private information. Stress to your teen how important it is to lock down his profiles so that only friends can view his information, and to avoid usernames that reveal his age, gender or location. He shouldn't add strangers to his friend's lists on websites such as Facebook. Let him know that it's never appropriate to give a stranger his phone number, home address or school information.

Get Involved

• Know what websites he visits, when he is on the computer and whom he's talking to over Facebook, email and instant message. If you're worried about too much or too indiscriminate Internet use, consider keeping his computer in a public room in the house, instead of his bedroom. Be aware that your teen can access the Internet in other locations as well, including school, the library and even on his phone.

Make Clear Guidelines

• Your teen has to know exactly what you expect from her in terms of Internet use; if you do not want her on Facebook before her homework is done, make this clear and enforce it. Make sure she knows what programs, games and websites you do not approve of, and that she knows why -- understanding goes a long way in helping her cope with the rules.

Limit Access

• Consider setting up a lesser user account on your or your teen's computer that limits what software he can install; keep the administrator password secret. You can use browser add-ons to block websites and lock out any browser changes. Chrome has an extension called StayFocusd, which gives you the tools to blacklist certain websites and whitelist others, and change when during the day sites are blocked; you can keep your teen from making changes to the browser settings with the extension Browser Lock. In Firefox you can use the add-ons LeechBlock and Public Fox to the same effect. Keep in mind, though, that a tech savvy teen may be able to find work-arounds to filters and blocks.

Be Reasonable

• If your teen has a big school project, she may need to spend more time on the computer than usual doing research or finding information. While you should be aware of who she is talking to online, avoid treating her online friendships as though they are not real; with families and friends spread farther across the globe, an Internet friendship can be just as genuine as one made at school. Work out a set of guidelines that satisfies your needs and concerns as a parent, without completely shutting your teen away from a vast source of knowledge, socialization and entertainment.