Check out the article about safe internet tips for kids. The internet has become an important part of our daily lives and children are no exception. Not only for playing games or having fun, the internet is also often relied on by children to access education and stay connected with their friends.
As a parent, you may want to always limit the amount of time your child spends surfing the internet, but you must not forget that excluding your child from an interconnected world is not fair to them. Because access to the internet has many benefits for children if used properly.
On the other hand, you still have to be aware of the various risks that your child may experience when they access the internet. In addition to the threat of malware and computer viruses, cyberbullying is also vulnerable to attack children if they do not have a strong self-protection barrier. To help you make sure your kids stay safe when accessing the internet, here are 6 safe internet tips for kids you can put into practice.
Safe internet tips for kids
1. Discuss the risks
If your children are old enough to use technology and the internet, then they are old enough to know about the dangers of the internet. As a parent, you don’t have to scare your kids or be too explicit when explaining the dangers of technology and the internet.
Communicate openly with children about the negative side of the internet so they can understand the risks of crime in cyberspace. Don’t forget to invite other family members to develop a healthy attitude when using technology and the internet.
2. Set limits for internet access
Setting some rules about internet and technology use has a number of benefits for both children and families. At a very young age, the limits set can include restrictions on the use of any social media as well as the intensity of communicating online with friends.
As children get older, they should be given more freedom in accessing the internet. Even so, you still have to limit the amount of time your child can spend doing activities in cyberspace. In addition, it is also important to prohibit the use of gadgets during meal times in order to increase quality family interactions.
3. Install parental control
The digital era as it is today has expanded the world for children. However, there are still some things in the online world that children shouldn’t see or enjoy. Therefore, you can install a parental control application to help you monitor and limit children’s activities while surfing in cyberspace.
Parental control can be set on broadband and mobile networks on both individual devices and search engines. When you enable parental controls, it will prevent your children from accessing age-appropriate content, buying apps, or changing passwords and privacy settings.
Recent studies have shown that a number of children have viewed online pornography and other adult content by the age of 12. So, parental control is worth considering as an effective tool to prevent such things from happening.
4. Accompany when browsing the internet
The internet is a fantastic and practical storehouse of knowledge. Therefore, you should encourage your children to use the internet as a research resource. You can install educational games or applications that can make children’s learning activities much more fun.
In addition, it is also recommended that you spend time on the internet with your children to explore their potential in a safe and controlled way. This way, your younger family members will develop their basic IT skills while observing how you use computers and other devices to access the internet.
5. Beware of cyber bullying
As we know, the virtual world cannot be separated from cyberbullying. Potential for this behavior it can occur via email, game platforms, chat, and social networks. Cyberbullying is very likely to be experienced by children in the form of harassment, threats, intimidation, or posting of personal data that should not be shared publicly.
To prevent your child from being cyberbullied, have an open conversation with them about cyberbullying and encourage your child not to hesitate to talk to you if they are a victim of cyberbullying. Also remind children that sharing too much personal information online can lead to attacks and manipulations that will harm them.
6. Avoid bad friendship
Because children still tend to be innocent, they can take for granted the people they meet online. In fact, online forums and chat rooms filled with strangers can be a dangerous place for them. Research shows that such online facilities are convenient places for pedophiles to hunt down children.
In extreme cases, children can be groomed online by individuals seeking to secretly sell them to bad guys.
You can still allow children to communicate with their friends via the internet. However, make sure you don’t forget to remind your child of the potential dangers of building friendships with strangers online.
Technological developments have indeed required children to get used to living in a connected world as it is today. Well, if you are able to teach children how to use the internet safely, then you don’t need to be afraid or prevent children from accessing technological advances that will provide various positive benefits for them.
