The digital world can be a dangerous place for a young kid. From age-inappropriate content to cyberbullying and online predators, online hazards are unfortunately a part and parcel of the digital world. How do you teach kids to navigate the Internet safely and avoid its many risks? In this parental guide to online safety, we’ll take a closer look at the most common internet threats and the best ways to combat them.
1. Internet and Smartphone Addiction
Internet addiction is a behavior disorder that can be characterized by compulsive and excessive behavior related to Internet access. Smartphone addiction is quite similar and encompasses compulsive checking of messages, elevated anxiety levels, and the inability to limit phone usage. With children aged 8–10 spending up to 6 hours in front of the screen daily and the trend exacerbating with age, Internet and smartphone addictions are much more common than you might think.
What to do: To combat digital addictive behaviors, consider educating your kid about the dangers of tech overuse, setting screen time limits, creating screen-free zones, encouraging other hobbies and interests, and installing parental control tools like https://parental-control.net/en/features/youtube.
2. Cyberbullying
According to a Pew Research Center survey, around 59% of U.S. teens have been harassed online. These staggering stats are another reminder that cyberbullying — bullying through digital devices and sharing mean content to ridicule or embarrass — has become part and parcel of the digital age. After all, social media is akin to a virtual playground, where interaction can have a lasting impact on the mental health of your child.
What to do: Initiate conversations, offer support, and share your own related experience if you have one. Make the child understand that it’s not their fault; consider limiting screen time, monitoring the kid’s social media use, and blocking the bully.
3. Cyberpredators
Online predators — Internet users who take advantage of children’s innocence for sexual or violent purposes — often target kids on social media, in chatrooms, or even during online gaming events. The typical red flags include gaining trust by lying about their age, offering gifts, initiating conversations about sexual topics, and asking graphic questions.
What to do: One of the best things to do to prevent such situations is to talk to your children about their everyday lives. In addition to discussing the dangers of strangers online, you should consider monitoring device use, setting a child’s profile to private, only accepting friend requests from people they know, and notifying the authorities.
4. Phishing
Another Internet hazard is phishing, a type of online scam where fraudulent messages and notifications trick kids into clicking on malicious links and sharing their personal information. The problem with these scams is that they’re not always easy to detect and often look legitimate.
What to do: Teach your kids not to click on suspicious links or attachments from strangers. Create two-factor authentication passwords on apps with sensitive information, block pop-up ads, and avoid installing shady online gaming apps.
Conclusion
In conclusion, although the Internet can be a source of infinite education and entertainment material, it can be dangerous for kids. To prevent the above-mentioned scenarios from happening, equip your child with cyber safety skills. Educate them about online dangers, encourage them to complete online safety courses like Google’s Be Internet Awesome, and consider installing parental control software to monitor their online activities.
