By rdnewsNOW staff

safety tips

Alberta RCMP urges parents to be aware of online trends

Mar 29, 2019 | 7:53 PM

Edmonton – Alberta RCMP want to remind parents to be aware of their children’s online activity, as there are new trends and viral videos emerging at all times.

For example, there have been allegations on social media of the “48-hour challenge,” which dares youth to go “missing” for 48 hours to earn points based on the number of times they are mentioned during their disappearance.

Every report of a missing person is taken seriously and investigated with all available resources. Investigations on current and recent missing youth have not revealed any link to the “48-hour-challenge.”

“We don’t want youth putting themselves in danger to keep up with online trends,” says Sgt. Raymond Tardif of the “K” Division Missing Persons Unit. “We remind parents to be aware of their children’s online activities and remind them that fake reports divert resources from legitimate emergencies and investigations.”

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Here are some tips for keeping your kids safe while using the Internet:

· Set rules for what your kids can and can’t do online.

· Teach your kids to check with you before downloading anything.

· Set the expectation that you will monitor children’s use of devices.

· Use parental controls.

· Discuss what children are allowed to share online.

· Keep open lines of communication.

· Encourage kids to talk to you if something makes them feel uncomfortable.