It’s not an exaggeration to say there’s nothing you can’t find on the internet.
It offers videos, games, and other entertainment options. The educational component is important for children, and there’s the social factor of chatting to friends.
But the fact that “everything” is available on the web also means sensitive content and potential threats to children’s safety is also available online.
So, how to provide a better and safer internet experience to kids?
Keep reading to learn more about children’s online security!
Why It’s Important to Keep Your Children Safe Online?
The fact your kid won’t be exposed to internet threats and is capable of handling sensitive situations is a sufficient benefit.
Other advantages include:
- Ensuring online threats don’t convert to dangerous real-life situations. Unfortunately, internet predators use the web to arrange live meetings. That could lead to dangerous situations for your kid, but staying safe online ensures your child stays away from these problems.
- Avoiding the risk of sharing sensitive info online. Posting information about their whereabouts could compromise your kid’s security. And if they share the entire family is on vacation, it puts you at risk of burglary.
- Keeping your computer safe. Clicking on unwanted links could install malware on smartphones or computers. By knowing how to act safely online, your child won’t accidentally compromise device security.
How Can You Give Your Child a Safer Online Experience?
Installing antivirus and anti-malware software is the first task.
These tools can help identify suspicious links and apps before they get installed on the device. The programs exist for smartphones, tablets, and other devices used to browse the web.
Once you cover these basics, here are other tips to give your kid a safer online experience!
Establish Healthy Online Habits
Restricting screen time is among the crucial healthy online habits to establish.
The hours spent online should increase as the child grows older.
A couple of hours daily is more than enough for a seven-year-old unless they are browsing for educational purposes.
Teenagers are harder to control and demand more time online, so they should know how to behave online by that point.
Acceptable online behavior includes treating others with respect and avoiding conflicts and potential problems.
Be Next to Them When They Go Online
This is smart when children are younger. You can act interested or insist that their first online steps should be joint experiences.
It’s an excellent way to introduce them to the virtual world.
You can show them how web browsers and mobile gaming apps work,and recommend some sites to visit.
Once your kids get older, they’ll ask for more independence. Use the time when they are younger to develop a bond and insist that they share their internet experiences.
Being someone they can rely on will ensure they’ll turn to you in problematic situations.
Use Parental Monitoring Apps
It’s up to parents to decide whether it’s necessary to resort to parental monitoring apps.
To avoid violating the child’s trust, don’t hide that you will install the tool on their mobile phone. Instead, discuss how it contributes to their safety and what features you’ll use.
Parental control apps can block access to specific websites.
Thanks to this filtering, you might protect your child from sensitive content.
The app will monitor messages on social media and messengers.
You don’t have to “borrow” your kids’ phones to read messages. Instead, you’ll receive detailed reports, but they are likely to include teenage slang and lingo, so make sure to familiarize yourself with them.
The app can send you alerts if it detects “dangerous” words, such as terms related to drugs, bullying, etc.
Final Thoughts – Find the Balance Between Safety and Control
Parents should invest effort in securing a safer online experience for children and ensuring they behave well on the web.
That includes understanding the digital world and knowing how to avoid conflict.
You need to be involved, but don’t be afraid to let children express themselves.
Ask about the websites they visit and express interest in their friends on social networks.
But try to develop a mutual relationship where they have a decent degree of online freedom but are ready to ask questions and share online experiences, especially those that concern them for any reason.