The internet is a great way to connect with people who share your hobbies and interests, and collectible card games are no exception. Trading cards with others is a great way to expand your knowledge and enjoyment of collectible card gaming.
However, you don’t want to put your safety or personal information at risk, and if you’re a parent, you don’t want your children to reveal sensitive information to strangers.
Here are some tips for parents:
- Teach your child to never provide their real name or address to others online, even if they’ve “known” the other person for a long time online.
- Remind your child that people they meet online may not be who they’re pretending to be. Most websites do not do anything to verify the profile information provided by members.
- Teach your child to select usernames (on websites that require registration) that does not include any personally identifiable information, such as their school name, city of residence, ZIP code, or date of birth (for example, RedmondGrrl1998 is not a good choice, as it tells the gender, approximate age, and location of the user).
- Remind your child that arranging face-to-face meetings with people they meet online is never OK
- Openly discuss your reasons for establishing rules for your child’s internet use – help them understand your concerns and the reasons behind them.
- Trust but check – don’t assume your child is behaving safely online. Establish agreement on how you will monitor your child’s online activity, and include a plan for how this will evolve as your child matures. For example, for a younger child you may want to insist that you have the password to all online accounts your child uses.
Here are more great tips for parents and children (via SafeKids).
