It’s difficult enough to keep kids safe in the real world, let alone in the cyberworld of social networking, texting, online gaming, and online predators. But you don’t have to sit back and hope for the best—you can take steps to keep your kid secure online. Learn about the most common cyber threats for teenagers and how to keep your entire family safe online with our list of guidelines. Teen phone monitoring is essential to protect your kids from harmful content online.
Here’s how to keep kids safe from harmful content online
- Have a conversation about it
Communication is a significant factor to consider when protecting your kid from harmful content available online. A conversation on online safety is never too early nor too late, and parents should normalise having these talks with their kids despite their age. Through these conversations, make forth the dangers prevalent on the internet, such as cyberbullying and other concerns you may have, and discuss the ways they may utilise to avoid them. Additionally, having these conversations opens a conversation space and an open space where parents will feel free to talk to you about anything that happens to them on social media.
- Have some ground rules set with your kids
Set clear expectations for your teen’s online activity and establish internet safety guidelines to keep them safe. Things like email accounts and internet identities, and passwords should be included. Determine which social media sites and applications are OK for usage and which are not. Take a look at the list below for additional information about safe internet usage.
- Personal information such as your complete name, address, phone number, and Social Security number should never be shared on the internet.
- Public Wi-Fi networks should not be used.
- Don’t give your phone, laptop, or tablet to anybody else.
- Strangers should not be accepted as friends.
- Unknown senders should not be opened.
- Don’t click on links or download anything unless you’ve talked to an adult about it beforehand.
- Do not send photographs through email, text, or instant messaging.
- Use parental controls
Use a parental control filter to help restrict your teen’s exposure to improper information. Parental controls may provide you with useful information about your child’s online habits and alert you to any possible red flags.
- App for parents to manage their children’s behavior
- bark logo, text, and artwork of a barking dog
If you’re concerned about invading your teen’s privacy, seek a parental control tool that monitors for risk rather than spying on them. There are a variety of applications available that alert parents to potential dangers without disclosing information that can make their kids feel disrespected or violated. n Also, make sure that your teen’s privacy settings are enabled on all devices, applications, and programs they use. Make certain kids understand how to keep their belongings safe.
- Ensure things are out in the open
Computers, laptops, tablets, and phones should all be kept in a central location in your house where you can keep track of activities and set additional rules. Set screen time limitations for your kids, including time spent on a smartphone, online gaming, and any other web-based activity they like. Teach children to avoid strangers on the internet, whether an email from an unknown sender, a dubious link or an unidentified friend request. Encourage them to run things past you if they’re unsure, so you can all determine whether or not something is safe.
In summation, teenagers are the most susceptible to the hazards of the internet. They are the most adventurous and seek socialization through the various apps that social media platforms present. This exposes a variety of dangers. Therefore it is necessary to ensure you protect teenagers from internet dangers. The above tips will guide you on how to protect teens.
