Internet Safety

  • Always place a family home computer in an area where you can see it.
  • Do you know what your children are doing online? Do you know the websites they go to or what personal information and pictures/videos they put of themselves on social media? If not, request to see them.
  • While not specifically internet related, do you know what is on your child’s cell phone? In addition to simply text messaging friends, your child may be sending pictures or videos of themselves to friends who may then distribute those pictures and videos to others who were never meant to see them. Discuss this issue with your children and regularly check their cell phones. Remember, it is not their cell phone if you pay the bill for it!
  • If you encounter internet “language”(i.e. F2F - face to face etc.) or other issues that you do not understand while looking at your child’s social media or text messages on their cell phone, ask them to explain what it means. Later, do a Google search yourself and verify what your child is saying.

Sample Acronyms


  • AAR: At any rate
  • AND: Any day now
  • AFAIK: As far as I know
  • A/S/l or asl: Age/sex/location (used to ask someone their personal information)
  • BBL: Be back later
  • BCNU: I'll be seeing you
  • b/f: Boyfriend
  • BRB: Be right back
  • BTW: By the way
  • DIKU: Do I know you?
  • F2F: Face to face
  • g/f: Girlfriend
  • IRL: In real life
  • P911 or PIR: Parents are in the room
  • POS: Parents looking over my shoulder
Additional internet acronyms can be found by utilizing Google or another search engine.