As students have increased access to the internet for educational purposes, the need for awareness and tools for cyber-safety are becoming greater. Teens not only use the internet for school, but for social media, gaming, chatting with friends, creating videos, editing music, creating blogs and websites. With all that can be done on the internet, it is important for parents to keep an eye on their children and know about the current trends. Here are some resources to help.

Common Sense Media (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/) Common Sense Media helps families make smart media choices, offering a large, trusted library of independent age-based and educational ratings and reviews for movies, games, apps, TV shows, websites, books, and music. Their Parent Concerns and Parent Blog help families understand and navigate the problems and possibilities of raising children in the digital age.

NetSmartz (http://www.netsmartz.org/Parents) is a website developed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This is a great resource for parents to look up different issues. On the parent page, you are able to choose an issue, such as cell phones, gaming, social networking, and get answers to questions you may have about this topic.

The National Crime Prevention Council (http://www.ncpc.org/topics/internet-safety) has many resources for parents as well. The National Crime Prevention Council’s mission is a national leader in helping people keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe from crime.