Kids nowadays use technology, especially the internet, in almost every part of their lives. They are quick to respond to new changes and can pick up new tech in no time at all. Parents, on the other hand, may be having a little trouble keeping up with their children. When it comes to the internet, keeping kids safe is an important thing to do. Here are some of the things you can do to keep your children safe when they are exploring the World Wide Web.
Talk to Them
One of the main things to do when you want to keep your kids safe on the internet is to actually talk to them. Start by talking about what it means to stay safe online; about how they can use the internet for positive purposes. Let them know that they can tell you anything that happens online too.
This takes some getting used to, especially since children can learn so much more from what they see online. They tend to pick up information regardless of whether that information is intended for them. Letting them know that they can tell you about their online experience and providing them with the right, comfortable environment to do so will help make keeping them safe so much easier to do.
Be the bigger person all the time. Children are delicate. When they come to you with something and they don’t like the way you react, they will lose trust and it will be much more difficult to get them to tell you their online experience again.
Use Tools to Help You
This isn’t about not trusting your children; not at all. It’s about maintaining control over the information they receive whenever they go online. There are tools that can help you monitor and control your children’s internet activities automatically. All you have to do is set a series of parameters on your children’s devices and let the filter or tool do the rest.
There are a lot of apps and software for the job too, some with more features than others. Forcefield, for instance, allows you to not only monitor your children’s online activities, but also curate the websites and apps you think are safe for them. You can even set the software to monitor photos and other contents your children share on the internet.
Get Allies
A lot of internet service providers, web browsers, internet devices (including smartphones) and websites are actually your friends. You can create a child-friendly online environment for your children by taking advantage of the native features available. These are your allies in keeping your children safe online.
There are other things you can do to help keep your kids safe when they’re online. You can, for instance, monitor their social media activities from a distance. What’s important, however, is trust. Build a good relationship and let your children know they can always come to you whenever they feel uncomfortable with what they see – or experience – online. It’s the best approach that will help you a lot every step of the way.