The weather is warming up and the kids are out of school leaving them a lot of free time to explore the internet on their phones and other devices. With the spike in technology use, children are advancing faster than we can keep up! Maintaining censorship can be difficult and children can be exposed to inappropriate content, or end up talking to strangers online, which can be very dangerous.
How can we keep our children safe online? The first thing you can do while helping your children stay safe online is openly talking with them about their online activities. Once your children start to access the internet it is important to have those conversations with them about what kinds of things they are reading, watching, or communicating online and continue to have these conversations as they get older.
Work on setting boundaries with them on what kinds of websites or apps are appropriate for their age. Some popular apps that might not be appropriate for younger children include Instagram and Snapchat but can be ok for older children with limits on what they post or who they talk to.
Know who your children’s online friends are, as adults we know that sometimes there are people on the internet who pretend to be someone they are not, and we know better than to disclose personal information to strangers online. It is important to teach our children this as well, you should teach them to be cautious and thoughtful about what they post and share. Encourage your children to ask themselves before posting anything if the information (name, phone number, home address, email, name of school) or photo is something they would give a stranger. If the answer is no, don’t post it.
As parents you can’t hover over your children’s shoulders 24/7 monitoring their activity online but you can set boundaries and educate your children on the importance of online safety.
