Online Safety for Kids' Electronics

December 22, 2012 (WLS) -- This holiday season, a lot of kids are getting electronics - smart phones, tablets, and other devices - that allow them to connect to the internet all the time and everywhere.

So how can parents make sure their kids are safe online? Rich Wistocki with BeSure Consulting, who is also a spokesperson for the social media monitoring tool TrueCare, came into our ABC7 studio with tips for parents.

Primary Considerations For Parents:
Question #1:
Does the device expose my child to outlets for which I wasn't prepared, such as an Internet connection, social media, photo sharing, Gaming, Camera, Webcams, Geo Tagging, etc.?

Question #2:
Am I prepared to learn about the safety and privacy settings of this device to keep my child safe?

Question #3:
How will I monitor the device?

Rich's Tips
- Monitor what websites children are allowed to access on the device.
- Talk about potential dangers of the Internet. Help them identify suspicious behavior, and encourage them to tell you if something is wrong.
- Smartphones: Parents can control when it turns on and off.
- Tablets: Browse internet activity and monitor history on the device.
- Gaming Systems: Many new systems are connected to the internet. Decide if that is an option you want your child to have. Also, if they are playing against others, don't let them use a headset.

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