Back To School Online Safety

August 18, 2015

Site Staff,

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It’s that time of year when kids are heading back to school which means they’ll be getting online more often.

Fargo police say there are a few things you should keep in mind before allowing your kids to log on.

Christina Overmoe is babysitting her nephew with some friends in downtown Fargo.
Growing up, her parents made sure she was smart about going online.

“I know that my parents would keep the computer in their bedroom just to make sure that we weren’t doing anything inappropriate on it and then they’d trust us throughout the years with our laptops and stuff,” said Overmoe of Moorhead.

But her experience isn’t shared by everyone.
White Buffalo says online safety is something you should explain to your kids only once.

“It’s not important, not in the least,” said Buffalo.
“How come?” asked the reporter.
“Trust, you have to trust your kid,” said Buffalo.

But Fargo Police have a different opinion.

“Talk to your children about what are the dangers, what are the risks of social media, because social media isn’t always bad. There are some perks to social media but there are also downsides,” said Fargo Police Department Officer Jessica Schindeldecker.

Schindeldecker says parents should be monitoring what their kids are doing online.
She says there are several downsides to social media.

“Cyberbullying, or some apps or some things will show where your location is and someone can pinpoint your location just because of an app that you’re using,” said Schindeldecker.

It’s one of the many things Overmoe learned growing up.

“My parents would tell me stuff like, oh well we got to be careful because there’s always those certain people getting kidnapped or something,” said Overmoe.

Some of the most popular apps police say should be on parents’ radar include Facebook and Instagram.

“It’s important to talk to them about safety and know what you’re children are using, so if they’re using a certain app; download it yourself,” said Schindeldecker.

If you still have questions about online safety, police say you should check out netsmartz, a website dedicated to teaching children how to be safer online.