Let’s face it. Kids today are a lot smarter and tech-savvier than we were at their age. Credit goes to the Internet for acting as a great learning platform. With all sorts of information available at one’s fingertips, children can quench their thirst for knowledge at any given time. To top it all, there are major “adult” attractions like casino slots online, available in demo mode to ramp up the excitement. Of course, gambling sites are meant for adults and have age verification incorporated, but sometimes, they can still be easily accessed by kids. It sure is a great place to hang out for the little bright minds. However, the Internet has its dark side too! Children often face threats from cyberbullying, harassment, predators, sexually explicit content, and as parents, we sometimes fail to save them from these risks. Later, when they get victimized, regret strikes for not freely discussing with them the dangers of the Internet.
Before your children experience anything of this sort that can damage their entire childhood forever, you have got to take some stringent measures. The blog today shall guide you on this so that your little one takes back home only pleasant experiences.
Frankly discuss your child’s online activity
It’s always recommended to talk openly about the dangers out there on the web. Ask them about the type of content they prefer watching and reading. In this way, collect as much information as you can about their online activity, including the sites they visit, the apps they regularly monitor, etc. If you find anything inappropriate, guide them accordingly so that when they browse the Internet outside the home, they do it responsibly.
Monitor your child’s online activity
This would require parents to position the desktop/ laptop anywhere in the living room at a central spot so that when you move around, you can check the content they are viewing online. In the case of mobile devices, set the Wi-Fi password to forget so that your kids can’t go online in your absence. You may also set up a ground-rule of no laptops/ desktops/ mobile devices in the bedroom.
Keep a tab on your kid’s browsing history if possible, to check the sites they frequently visit. You may face issues later on when they start to erase the history, but that’s when the first point comes to play. The habit of openly discussing their online activity at a very tender age can develop the desired level of trust between you and your child.
Set rules on usage of the Internet
It’s always advisable to set time limits on the use of a computer, be it for gaming or research purpose. This is how you can control their level of activity on the Internet and prohibit them from overuse.
Educate yourself on parental controls
Every parent must update themselves about parental controls to make the most of the feature. This will ensure safe browsing on the Internet. Today, Windows 10 makes it incredibly easy through simple settings applicable on screen time, browsing, apps, Xbox privacy, games, and spending. Blocking inappropriate sites is also possible through safe search. Similarly, time limits can also be set, whereby attempts to use the PC after a limit shall require parental interference. Similarly, explore the settings in your macOS and apps to thwart your child’s untimely exposure to sexually explicit stuff.
Alert your children about strangers
Statistics reveal that almost 60% of the teens have both received and replied to texts and emails. As parents, one must educate one’s children not to speak to strangers, no matter how friendly they act online. Discuss with them about the kind of weirdos lurking out there, waiting to trap innocent children and make them act according to their whims and wishes.
Keep control of their digital footprint
While it’s amusing at first to upload pictures on social media and enjoy the pampering or popularity thereafter, there’s always this big risk of leaving breadcrumbs for cyberstalks and online harassment. Let’s not forget that anything we put on the Internet shall stay there permanently. There’s no way you can put them down later on. Therefore, parents have to be extra cautious when uploading their children’s pictures online. Similarly, they must inculcate in kids the quality of self-control so that little to no digital footprint is left behind after usage of the Internet.
Make Internet time your family time
Replacing ‘eat’ with ‘surf’ shall make more sense in the phrase – a family that surfs together, stays together. Isn’t it? How about clubbing your family time with web browsing time, whereby you can hang out with your children, help them with their R&D for homework and kill two birds with one stone? Seems logical. However, no matter how you manage to convince your kids for the same, ensure you put the Google search filter on ‘safe.’
Keep them away from chat rooms
The parental approach to controlling kids may have changed, but the efficacy of the age-old advice of parents in a stern voice – “never talk to strangers” has remained the same. Do your best to reinforce that age-old rule, making your child understand that no matter how pleasant the behavior of a stranger seems, one should never join them in online chat rooms or disclose information to them.
The notion is not to create panic in the minds of children but to gift them with the invaluable quality of rationality so that they avoid the dangers of online browsing without cutting down on educational, social, or entertaining content. With this, we come to an end. Hope you got your answer on how to keep your child safe online. So, act accordingly and with collaborated effects, let’s make the online world a safe place for them to hone their intelligence and grow their knowledge.
