Kids today make use of various devices and online tools and services, either for research or for private use. Every one of these devices and tools, however, are not without their risks. As parents, it’s up to you to set up (and enforce!) rules and limits when it comes to the usage of anything that links your child to the internet. Here are the basic steps no parent can afford to miss.
1. Computers should be placed in a high-traffic area of your home:
This step alone may help lower the risk or possibility of your child going into prohibited sites or communicating with strangers.
2. Set some limits for which online sites your child is allowed to visit:
If there are new sites that your child is interested to check out, or if there are sites recommended by anyone else, visit yourself first to determine if it’s suitable for a minor’s viewing. Many parents make the mistake of assuming that the websites their kids’ visits are safe just because they were recommended by other children.
3. Monitor cell phones, gaming devices, and laptops:
Keep in mind that almost every internet tool can be accessed through a smartphone, so strict monitoring of your child’s devices is important and relevant to help keep him/her safe from predators, inappropriate material, etc.
4. Know what they’re up to when they’re online:
Ideally, this should be a straight-up inquiry, for is communication lines were always good and open between parent and child, it should not be a problem. If this is a problem however and you feel like your child is hiding something, make the effort to talk to your child about your concerns. Alternatively, you could talk to the school and suggest a talk or lesson on internet safety, which will surely benefit all other kids too.
5. Keep tabs on who your child connects with online:
There should never be secrets on who your kid is communicating with either via text messages, social media, online gaming sites, webcams, and even emails. Again, regular dialogues with your children about online safety will help them feel more comfortable reporting any online issues to you.
If things do go wrong, will pulling the plug help?
Taking away their internet privileges may not necessarily help when things go wrong — not in this day and time anyway. Your best bet will still be to open up better communication lines and talk to your child about ways to protect themselves online, respecting other users and basically, keeping out of trouble.
