The Internet can be a great place for kids to learn, be entertained, and to communicate with others. However, it also can be potentially dangerous.

It’s unrealistic in our technology-driven world to isolate yourself, not get a phone or computer, or pretend you can avoid the Internet. Although you may delay your child’s involvement in the Internet, the reality of its presence in your home is inevitable. There are several things you can do to ensure your family’s safety online. Here are 7.

It’s is going to be very difficult, if not impossible, to isolate yourself from the internet. And you shouldn’t, because it’s an invaluable resource. But it is important to stay safe. To that end, this is a list of internet safety tips that you can follow.

1. Educate yourself
   Most parents are behind their children when it comes to the latest in Internet technology. Make sure you aren’t. Kids today have tons of social media options, download music both legally and illegally, and publish information about themselves that others can see. As a parent, you have to learn what’s how it all works, so you can better protect them

2. Keep the computer public.
   Perhaps kids should not have private access to the Internet all the time. The computer should be in a place where you can walk by and see what’s going on. Children on the Internet are faced with new challenges, so close monitoring is essential. Parents should be able to read emails and review sites that the child has visited.

3. Establish accountability
   You don’t have to be discreet about the monitoring necessarily. Make sure you kids know that they are being monitored, so that you can effectively deal with any issues that may arise.

   4. Install a filter or some other safeguard program
   Pretty self-explanatory, filters provide the safeguard of preventing access to offensive sites. Most filters allow you to choose the degree of filtering based on the age of the child.

4. Set up some rules
   The different needs, age, development, character, and maturity of each child should be taken into account as you set up guidelines for computer use. Maybe some kids shouldn’t be on the computer at all if they aren’t responsible enough. Set up appropriate boundaries for your children and a system for monitoring them.

   6. Talk about the issues
   Children need to understand the dangers, so have conversations about your concerns. Don’t make the whole dialogue negative, however. The internet has the potential to be a wonderful thing, so make sure they know that as well.