Updated by: Junella Parents must maintain an alert sense of safety regarding their children's internet presence in our digital world. As children become better learners of technology, navigating the digital age comes with unique challenges, making it essential for parents to remain alert and mindful. At this point, parents need to keep an eye on their kids' internet use activity. Parents need data and instruments to guarantee their children's safety in a setting such as the Internet, where there are many risks and possibilities. While internet connectivity is instantaneous and has numerous benefits, it presents dangers, such as exposure to bullying on the Internet and predators.Â
Misuse of social networks can have negative consequences, emphasizing the significance of protecting children's well-being in their online interactions. Implementing strategies to keep children secure is essential for parents whose children are using social networking sites or making access requests. By following specific tips and rules on social media, parents can better protect their children from possible risks found online and encourage a safer digital environment.
Things Every Parent Can Do to Protect Their Children Online
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Communication and Awareness
Step 1: Talk and Encourage Open Communication with Your Child About Their Online Activity.
Within a moment, your child begins using the internet, talking to them about things they are reading and watching and who they are corresponding with on the internet, and continuing the dialogue as they expand older. Ask your child what websites or applications they access, write a list, and assess them together. Talk to your child about what you consider suitable, and remind them that this can be different for other parents and their kids.
Listen to your child and come to a common understanding of what is proper for your family. Remember, the moment will come around when they will use the internet when not in the security of your home, and you want them to be ready for that. It is vital to instruct them on managing their internet image, too, and how they must be careful about how they act and communicate with others and represent themselves in a setting for the public. They must never forget that privacy on the internet doesn't exist.    Â
Step 2: Keep an Open Dialogue with Your Child.
You cannot monitor your child's continuous use of social media 24/7, so maintaining a solid line of communication is essential to comprehend the situation with your child online. Ask them to inform you whenever they get invitations or messages from unknown people. Speak to them about the consequences of improper use of social media. Hear their explanation if someone is teasing or intimidating someone, as those actions may be indicators of cyberbullying.
Step 3: Be 'Share Aware' to Protect Your Privacy.
If your child is a frequent social network user, they must be aware of the danger of photographs or personal data being made public when they upload it. While they won't fully understand the repercussions of disclosing personal information online, you should teach them to be mindful and deliberate about what they release and share. Encourage your children to ask themselves before making any posts if the information, for example, name, home address, phone number, email, and school name or photo, is something they would give a stranger. If the answer is no, please don't post it.
If your child posts images or content online, ask your child to let you see what they are sharing or get a senior sibling to make sure of any photos before they are shared.
Step 4: Teach Your Children to Keep Their Location Private.
Most applications, networks, and devices have location tracking tools that reveal your location to the public and can bring someone to you directly. These features need to be disabled for obvious privacy reasons and safety reasons. Digital images also contain metadata information about the time, date, and potentially more revealing GPS coordinates than you want to. A few social media sites automatically hide or remove this data; however, not all do, so do your homework and understand the extent of the information you share.
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Step 5: Explain Cyberbullying.
Please speak with your children about the risks of cyberbullying and appropriate reactions to it. Encourage them to be kind and encouraging to one another, remind children of the significance of speaking up, and let an adult know if they see any harassment signals.
Monitoring and Control
Step 6: Keep Screens and Devices Where You Can See Them.
Always watch your child’s time online, tiny children. Keep the computer in the main point of the residence where it’s easy to watch what your kids are doing and seeing on the internet. For mobile devices, they can be set to forget WiFi passcodes so your children cannot use the internet without your knowledge. You can also try to decide that there are no computers, tablets, or gaming in bed.
For younger children, consider looking via browser history after your child has been online to discover the websites they are seeing. This approach gets more challenging as children age and learn to distinguish histories, strengthening the case for opening the lines of communication concerning early internet use.
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Step 7: Know Your Parental Controls.
Innocent searches online can have less than ideal outcomes, so it’s wise to know how to use the limits on searches and parental controls offered by web browsers, gadgets, and internet service providers. For instance, the SafeSearch Filters feature on Google will prohibit websites containing graphic explicit material. To activate it, go to Settings/SafeSearch Filters. While not entirely correct, parental controls can help prevent your child from viewing and accessing most graphic or suggestive content. Take a look at your Parental Controls. Purchased security equipment and features will provide additional security and command.
Step 8: Keep Control of Your Family's Digital Footprint.
Each image and personal information shared and posted on social media and the internet enhances a person's online presence. The significant danger with this is that once data is exchanged openly, it can be used in ways you can't predict or manage. It would help if you also assumed that anything posted online remains there forever; it can sometimes be removed, though sometimes after others have seen it and saved it. For this reason, children and youth should be intelligent about protecting their pictures and details. The same applies to parents who frequently share photos of their children online.
Raise your children to learn to control their digital presence by only sharing with individuals they know and trust. Instead of uploading to all their friends on social media, motivate them to utilize care and privacy settings on their social media sites.
Step 9: Keep Track of Online Time.
The Australian Guidelines for Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior recommend that children between the ages of five and seventeen spend no more than two hours using screens daily. Observing your children's internet usage, particularly younger children, is essential to ensure they don't acquire negative behaviors. Get your children to settle on a time, let us say 30 minutes for each session, and set a timer to go off.Â
Remember to set up a deadline that cannot be negotiated. You should also turn off the home Wi-Fi at a set time every night, ideally before bed, to give everyone a little "time-out" from the internet. Consider designating certain days as "screen-free" days in your home to urge everyone to engage in more active, less technology-driven methods for amusing themselves.
Step 10: Regularly Check Your Child’s Privacy Settings.
Once your child or children have created a profile on social media, it is essential to be watchful in protecting their privacy settings. Social media sites update security parameters constantly to ensure maximum security is available, but they frequently require the user to update them manually.
Step 11: Decide on Age Restrictions for Your Children and When to Start Using Social Media.
As you get familiar with social media sites, you should check the minimum age restrictions for each site. Almost all social media sites need people to register for an account at the age of 13 or above without their parent's permission, according to the Protection of Children's Online Privacy Act (COPPA).
Step 12: Report and Block.
Show your children how to report and remove offensive or suspicious content or individuals on the platform. Ensure they know how to use the various reporting features on multiple platforms.
By paying attention to the following suggestions, parents can take assertive actions to maintain their children's safety and the security of children online. By cooperating, we can create a safer internet environment for every child. Kindly let the authorities know about cyberbullying, illegal content, and online abusive behavior.
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Social Media and Online Interactions
Step 13: Know who Your Children's Online Friends Are.
As mature individuals, we know that some internet people aren't who they claim to be, but children and young people can be seemingly unsuspecting of the people they are conversing with if they are not trained web literate from a young age.
Ensure you turn into contacts and friends within your child's social media networks and monitor posts. Your children may resist, but tell them that is one of the requirements for you to grant them access.
Step 14: Be Social Network Savvy.
Teach yourself to use social media platforms safely to give your kids the best guidance possible. Sign up for your children's applications and social networks and learn how to use the privacy settings and reporting mechanisms. Talk about how they can be careful when using social media, including conversing with a reliable individual when they are worried and understanding what defines online bullying both as a victim and an offender.
If your children use social media, make sure they are aware of how to:
Report abusive or inappropriate posts.
Block someone.
Preserve confidential information.
Step 15: Be a Good Digital Role Model.
You can set an excellent example for your children by acting on internet safety and responsibility. Teach your children how to use technology responsibly and sensibly. For instance, family activities should be established regularly without electronics, such as playing games or walking.
Step 16: Educate Yourself About Social Media.
As parents, it is essential to become familiar with the available and suitable websites for your child. Here are some of the top kid-friendly social media apps and websites for teens:
Safety Measures
Step 17: Make Sure They Choose a Strong Password.
When introducing children to internet-related activity or account setup on kid-friendly platforms, it is essential to emphasize the significance of selecting a secure password. Parents and guardians establish early routines for responsible internet behavior and protect their digital presence by teaching kids to create strong passwords. Moreover, teaching children about password security increases their comprehension of cyber hygiene, empowering them to browse the internet environment as they grow securely.
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Step 18: Do Not Allow Your Children to Upload Images or Videos that May Harm Their Safety or Character.
While most people upload images and videos with the most excellent intentions, it is easy for things to be taken correctly and with context. When everyone has access to the internet, the wrong message can have long-lasting effects. Teach your kids about this, and ensure they understand to post only images and videos of themselves and others in a positive light.
Step 19: Do Not Allow Your Children to Accept Friend Requests from People They Do Not Know.
This may be self-explanatory, but many people utilize social media to follow individuals and obtain their data to cause harm. It is always best practice to accept friend requests only from those your child is familiar with, such as their friends and family.
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Step 20: Encourage Offline Activities.
Ensure that your child has harmony between interactions and activities with friends on and off the internet. Motivate them to participate in physical exercise, spend time with loved ones and friends, and find out anything outside of their interests in the online world. This can assist with creating a balanced environment and lowering the risks of too much time spent using screens.
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Step 21: Lead by Example.
Set an example for others and consistently model the kind of positive online conduct that you want your kids to use. If they see you being careful and dignified online, they are more inclined to emulate your actions. And, yes, this includes setting a time limit for yourself on screens.
Ultimately, you don’t want to teach your kids to be afraid or stop them from experiencing the many instructive, entertainment, and internet advantages in social and other domains, but rather give them the abilities and information they must possess on how to make the most of it and steer clear of the hazards.
Step 22: Children and Privacy.
Ensure your child knows the value of privacy and its significance in securing their online information. Advise them to keep sensitive information private, like their full name, location, contact number, or university name strangers on the Internet.
Conclusion
Parents are important in guiding how their children use the internet. Talking openly, setting clear rules, and using parental controls can help keep kids safe online. Teaching kids about privacy and good online behavior helps them use the internet safely. It’s also important to balance online time with other activities like exercise and face-to-face conversations. This helps prevent too much screen time. Teaching kids to think carefully, be kind, and stay private online gives them the skills to make smart choices and stay safe while still getting the most out of the internet for learning and socializing.
