Internet Safety For Kids
Do you remember the days when you could let your child roam free on the internet for hours at a time, entrusting them to responsibly explore the World Wide Web without going astray? Neither can I.
For as long as the internet has been a vital part of our daily life, there has been a “dark side” that we as parents have strived to protect our children from. Despite our valiant efforts, some of us were simply unaware and oblivious to the depth and overall “NSFWness” (Not Safe For Work) of cyberspace. Here are a few tips to help you keep your kids safe online.
-Discuss the dangers of the internet with your children
This should be the very first thing a parent does before giving children internet privileges. Explain the dangers of submitting personal information, photographs, clicking random things, anything that you wouldn’t want them to do. Let them know to always inform you if they encounter something they are unfamiliar with.
-Keeping your antivirus, firewall and internet security up to date
The internet is massive. The same can be said about the number of threats; malware, adware, viruses, and scams. If these things can go under the radar for adults, our children pretty much welcome these things in. It is necessary to have antivirus and firewall protection up to date as these threats are becoming harder to notice. Internet security programs, also allow you to set parameters for your children and block websites.
-Make it a family activity
Try browsing the internet along with your children. Let them take the wheel while acknowledging and rewarding safe browsing habits. Be sure to point out unsafe habits!
-Be inquisitive
Show your children that you are interested in knowing what they are up to. Encourage them to tell you if they encountered any questionable content and share websites that they would want to check out. Don’t panic if they do run into to something inappropriate. This might make them more hesitant and less forthcoming.
For those of us with children, we know that is close to impossible to shield our kids from every inappropriate link. Sometimes even typing a seemingly innocent group of words in Google can take you somewhere traumatizing. Children are now operating their own computers, tablets and cell phones at an early age. Implementing more modernized rules and protective measures will assist you in keeping your child safe as they utilize one of the greatest learning tools yet.
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