The mission of the Miss-Lou Regionalism Education and Workforce Subcommittee states that “Adams County and Concordia Parish will join together for the purposes of community and economic development.” Members of the committee are: David Harris, Debbie Hudson, Pat Sanguinetti, Nancy McLemore, Mignonne Ater, Mary Campbell, Dorothy Parker, Brenda Moore, Bill Beasley, Dr. Anthony Morris and myself. The committee meets monthly, and over the last year the members have focused attention on a very important topic — Internet safety for kids.

The offices of the Attorney General in Louisiana and Mississippi have assisted the subcommittee in offering workshops and training sessions for parents, teachers, and children on topics such as cyberbullying, stranger danger, identity theft, sexting and protecting privacy. Critical emphasis is placed on keeping kids safe online.

From the time that a child begins to interact on the Internet, whether by playing games, watching videos or even homework help, adults need to be pay close attention to the online involvement of their children. Some tips to emphasize to children are:

– Do not give out personal information online.

– Be respectful of others in all online communication.

– Recognize the difference between real content and advertisements.

Basic tips for parents include:

– Beware of placing a computer in your child’s bedroom.

-Limit the amount of time your children spend online.

– Encourage your children to enjoy activities other than online.

4Visit the sites your children seem to enjoy.

The Internet is a new sort of playground for children. It is up to responsible adults to keep that playground nice, safe and fun.

Watch for more tips on Internet safety from the Miss-Lou Regionalism Education and Workforce Subcommittee.

Ruth Nichols is a member of the Miss-Lou Regionalism Education and Workforce Subcommittee.