This is a collaborative post: Technology is a brilliant parenting tool and an increasing number of children have access to their own tablet, phone or laptop. Educational apps are pretty much essential for schoolwork, they are vital for keeping in touch with friends and family and nothing beats them for keep children entertained when you just need to get something done.
However there are quite a few dangers present on the Internet: inappropriate content, criminals, stalkers, scams, hacking and much more. Navigating the Internet is a skill that has to be learned and something that we need to be aware of and teach our children.
Let’s go over a few ways you, as a parent, can mitigate the dangers your kids face while surfing the Internet.
Enable Parental Controls On Their Devices
It’s difficult to limit what your kids can and can’t do on their devices without constant supervision and with the best will in the world, you can’t watch their screens all the time. Without adequate parental controls and it is possible for them to install inappropriate applications or put themselves in danger online.
Tech companies know the struggles parents face when it comes to controlling their kids and their attachments to their devices. Fortunately, their knowledge of said struggle means that many devices in the past decade come with parental controls.
Amazon Fire Kids tablets are great for this. Using the parent’s dashboard, you can remotely set limits and they are only able to select apps and content which has been verified as age appropriate. You can select what you want them to be able to do on their tablet – for example, reading and audiobooks but not internet websites or apps – when, and for how long each day.
There are similar downloadable parental control apps for android tablets for example Google Family Link.
Install an Encrypted Network at Home
When someone uses the Internet on an unencrypted network, their data and online activity is visible for anyone with the right tools to access. This means that knowledgeable and seasoned cybercriminals could steal their data and personal information.
Parents would do well to encrypt their network and use a VPN for UK (a Virtual Private Network), which will keep their kids’ data from being leaked or stolen by cybercriminals.
Monitor Your Kids’ Online Activity
Kids are curious. And, as we all know from experience, they often gravitate towards what piqued their curiosity. Curious kids run the risk of seeing inappropriate, adult or violent content, or being sucked in by dodgy websites promising free cash and electronics, scam emails claiming to be a Nigerian prince, or applications that look fun but are infested with malware. They could even be targeted by adults posing as other children for nefarious purposes.
If contact or behaviour crosses the line into exploitation or grooming, parents should know there are steps beyond monitoring and parental controls. Families can preserve messages, screenshots and other evidence to build a record of what happened. Understanding how to file a lawsuit against roblox, for example, can help parents explore formal avenues to seek accountability and protection for their children. Consulting child-protection services or a solicitor experienced in online harms can clarify options and next steps.
So, for this reason, it’s important that you monitor your kids’ online activity – websites visited, emails and messaging apps – regularly.
That said, you should give them space as they get older; privacy is important to teens, but if you set the boundaries (ie. tell them that you’ll be reading their emails/messages and checking over the kinds of websites they’re visiting) beforehand, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Establish an Interest in Your Kids’ Online Hobbies
Take an interest in their hobbies. Become familiar with what they do online; subscribe to their YouTube channel or TikTok account and see who they’re following or watch any content they are creating. Not only will this give you a window into their lives and help you grow closer with them, but it will also ensure you know how you can prevent them from making any major mistakes.
Teach Your Kids About Online Dangers
Nothing does a better job of keeping someone safe online than teaching them about safety. Sit them down and talk to them one-on-one in a non-judgemental manner about the dangers that exist and how they can ensure they’re careful online, but don’t be too forceful otherwise there is the risk that they will close down.
Teach your kids about how they could get hurt on the Internet using these tips from the NSPCC.
With kids having near-unlimited access to the Internet, it can be difficult making sure they don’t get up to any trouble. But with these tips, you’ll be well on your way to keeping your kids safe online.