Katherine Grace Rice
CUIN 6320
Technology in Learning Environments
Individualized Final Project
Internet Safety for Young Students
For my project, I came up with 10 safety “rules” students need to remember when using
the internet. These entail both actions to be done and what to do in certain situations. The
internet is vast and endless, and it is sort of frightening thinking of children having access to it.
And so, if students keep these rules in mind, they can help them surf the web safely.
o Never share your personal information (name, address, school, etc.)
o Keep track of your passwords, and keep them safe
o Anything done online can have real life consequences
o Not everything on the internet is true
o Be careful interacting with strangers online
o If you see something inappropriate, tell an adult
o Don't post anything you would not share with your parents or teachers
o Be careful clicking on ads or fake-looking links
o Ask an adult before downloading anything
o Be kind to others online!
o Never share your personal information (name, address, school, etc.)
Students should understand that giving access to personal information on the internet can
allow for predators to find it. Young elementary students should not be talking to strangers on
the internet in general, but they should especially not be providing their personal information.
o Keep track of your passwords, and keep them safe
Keeping passwords is a big responsibility for students. Ensuring that they keep all of their
own passwords together and hidden is an important part of internet safety. Not letting their
classmates have them is one thing, but making sure that people on the internet cannot get them is
more important. Stressing the importance of password security is vital to creating responsible
young digital citizens.
o Anything done online can have real life consequences
It is easy to think that whatever you say and do online will stay online, and that it is a
separate world. However, showing students that what they do online needs to be taken seriously
is a major part of learning to use technology.
o Not everything on the internet is true
Students need to learn that just because they find a piece of information on the internet,
does not mean it comes from a reputable source. Even Wikipedia has false information
occasionally. Anyone can go on the internet and post anything, and understanding how to look
for credible sources is a necessity.
o Be careful interacting with strangers online
Children are known for being gullible, and they need to be careful trusting people online
who they do not personally know. Catfishing is a real problem, especially with people such as
children or the elderly who may not understand how to look for the signs. Even without
catfishing, interacting with strangers on the internet can be a dangerous activity.
o If you see something inappropriate, tell an adult
Often, when children come across something inappropriate on the internet, they tell no
one out of fear as though they themselves did something wrong. Having an open line of
communication with children about the dangers of the internet is important, so that they are
aware of these kinds of activities.
o Don't post anything you would not share with your parents or teachers
Young students need to understand that no matter where you post something, it can
potentially be seen by anyone. Being inappropriate on the internet can and will come back to
haunt you, and so it is far better to just not do so in the first place.
o Be careful clicking on ads or fake-looking links
Recognizing things on the internet that could be viruses and malware is something that
takes time, but is a skill that is necessary for safely using the internet. Obviously, some ads are
fine to click on, but having children not do so until they can tell the difference would be a safer
idea.
o Ask an adult before downloading anything
Downloading software or anything else onto computer is something that children should
absolutely run by a trusted adult first, on the chance that it is not safe for the computer. This is
especially true if the computer is owned by the school.
o Be kind to others online!
Children are told to “be kind” to others often, but it can be tempting when behind a
computer screen and anonymous. Like the point about the internet having real consequences,
being unkind online does not mean that it does not count. Students are still responsible for their
actions online as in real life.
References
Internet Safety for Kids: 17 Cyber Safety Experts Share Tips for Keeping Children Safe
Online. (2013, May 1). Retrieved April 28, 2020, from Safety.com website:
https://www.safety.com/internet-safety/
Internet Safety Lessons for Elementary Students - EduKate and Inspire. (n.d.). Retrieved
April 28, 2020, from Internet Safety Lessons for Elementary Students - EduKate and
Inspire website: https://edukateandinspire.blogspot.com/2012/09/internet-safety-and-
meet-teacher-prezi.html
S, J. (2014). 10 Internet Safety Tips for Kids | McGruff Safe Kids. Retrieved from
Mcgruff-safe-kids.com website: https://www.mcgruff-safe-kids.com/2014/08/10-internet-
safety-tips-for-kids/
Internet Safety 101: Age-Based Guidelines. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2020, from
internetsafety101.org website: https://internetsafety101.org/agebasedguidlines
Mary Beth Hertz. (2012, June 4). How to Teach Internet Safety to Younger Elementary
Students. Retrieved from Edutopia website: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/internet-
safety-younger-elementary-mary-beth-hertz
