[AD] As a parent, you feel the need to do everything in your power to protect your children from the dangers of the world. But the harsh reality is that you can only protect them so far and while they are within your sight. Enter the internet, while useful and a hive of information, there is also a dark side we need to protect our children from. The internet has gotten to the point where it is widely accessible and easy to use. This is a far cry from yesteryear when we needed to wait for the dial-up to connect before doing a simple search. With these advancements in technology, you also need to become more tech-savvy so that you can take actionable steps to make the encourage online safety and fun for your children.
[Photo by Emily Wade on Unsplash]
The Threat Advancements in Technology Poses
The internet has become an integral part of our lives, and it has access to everything. Children need it for their homework - something that became a lot more useful during the pandemic - and for entertainment purposes. It’s extremely easy to sit them in front of a device and stream their favourite shows. However, when you have unfettered access to the internet, it can become a problem and you need to be able to know when you should take action. There are numerous concerning factors that can affect your children, including strangers talking to them, access to illicit content, viruses, scammers and cyberbullying. All these negative connotations make it difficult to trust the internet and it requires you to actively monitor your child’s usage of the World Wide Web.
Strategies for Online Safety
Importance of Checking in on Your Child’s Activity
When it comes to checking in on your child’s internet activity, there is a very thin line between the need to respect privacy versus protecting them. You need to make sure that they are practising safe internet habits and staying away from dangers. Every so often check their devices and their history, install malware protection software and run a scan often to make sure their systems aren’t being compromised. When it comes to checking the browser history, things can become tricky. If you have reasons to be concerned, you can log in through the home router and check your history for the shared internet provider. This may feel like an extreme measure, but it is something that should be done in extremely concerning circumstances.
Why You Should Communicate With Your Child
It is important to have an open discussion with your child about the dangers of the internet. The reason why this is important is that it can help build trust between the two of you. Teaching them about internet safety and how to use social media is only half the battle won. Them being able to trust you enough to tell you about anything that makes them concerned or unsettled is extremely important for your relationship with each other. This way you both can tackle any troubles together and work on a way forward.
Ways to Protect Your Privacy Online
As a parent, there are many ways you can protect the privacy of your family in an online setting. The first step would be to find suitable anti-virus and protection applications. Consider investing in a tool like Bitdefender Password Manager to help manage access to all sites that require passwords and protect them from being hacked. The next step would be to be mindful of what you post online. It is not surprising that creepy people lurk on social media to find information about you and your family. This is why it is important to not post your whereabouts, don’t post when you’re on holiday away from home, and refrain from posting your children online especially when they are wearing their school uniforms. This behaviour creates boundaries and reduces the chances of people accessing information about you and your family.
Be The Change You Want to See
In order for your internet safety plans to make a difference, you need to set an example for them by practising what you preach. Not only does it give your children of their being a sense of fairness at home, it is also good practice for adults, as they are not invulnerable to the dangers of the internet.
The bottom line
Protecting your children is paramount for parents, and one of the ways you can keep your child safe is by taking actionable steps to monitor your children’s use of the internet. Teach them about online safety and use software to make their use of the web more secure. It is also important for parents to make changes in the way they use the internet to keep themselves and their families safe from harm.
