These are the days when children are spending more time on the Internet. The Internet has evolved a long way from simple web surfing to building websites, making and watching movies, and so on. While it’s good to let children explore technology from an early age, it’s also important to keep a vigilant eye given the safety and security concerns.
In a world full of social media where there are hundreds of varieties of content, how do you keep your children safe on the internet? These are the questions constantly in the mind of parents, guardians and adults who do not want to expose their kids to the grim reality of the Internet. While the Internet boom did wonders for the youth and the population in general, there are countless other aspects of the net which pose immediate threat to the safety and security of an individual. Especially if the individual in question is a child, with little knowledge about how things work on the net.
While keeping the child completely away from the Internet is not a solution given the curiosity to explore things, here are some tips and measures you can employ your child is safe on the Internet.
Keep Talking
Talk to your kids about the safety and security on the internet. Data shows that most parents do not engage in a conversation with their kids about the dangers of the net. And when we say conversation, understand that it is a two way conversation. Warning your child not to surf on the internet might make them do it more, thereby defeating the whole purpose. Educate them about spam, phishing, and lurkers who might trick them into doing something.
Monitor Activity
There is a fine line between monitoring and spying. Make sure your child is aware that you will be following up on their online activity once they are done. Check browser history to see what sites they are visiting and other activities they might indulge in. Let your child be aware the bid daddy is watching whatever they do.
Use Parental Controls
Do not feel embarrassed to use parental controls for young children. Keep locks, have filtered searches and you may also put restrictions on using certain sites. There are tons of sites out there that can help you with this. Google itself has something called as the Safe Search filter that helps to weed out violent and sexual content.
Install a Good Antivirus
Keep your software up-to-date and install the latest version of the best anti-virus installed on your computers/ laptops. Out of curiosity, kids may access certain malicious links or pictures that may spell trouble! Malware concerns are real and having a good anti-virus with a strong real time run check, a solid firewall and scanning process, can make a lot of difference. Invest in a good one. Read the reviews before buying one.
Keep an Eye
Watch out for any odd behavior by your child. If they look disturbed, or start avoiding conversations, these could be the warning signs the kid may be in trouble. They may not be comfortable sharing it with you for the fear of being yelled at or simply because they believe they can handle it. So, keep an eye out for any alarms. Online predators also have a tendency to reach out at times. So keep a close eye on any special things that your child may be receiving.
While these are a few tips that you can definitely use, what is also important is that you, as a parent, need to educate yourself about the dangers of the internet. Only then can you protect your child from it. The more you talk to your child about it, the easier this process will be.