A child spends a significant part of the day on the Web: there he learns, communicates with friends and has fun. But in addition to educational videos, chat rooms and cartoons, there is a lot of inappropriate content on the Internet that parents want to protect them from. Let’s figure out how not to turn care into surveillance and maintain a healthy relationship with your child.
What Is Online Safety
The Internet is a universal source of information for any student. A child becomes an active user of the Web at an early age. As in any new environment, adaptation and support of parents are important for them on the Internet.
The list of dangers a child may encounter on the web is large: violence, pornography, disclosure of personal data, fraudulent transactions, cyberbullying. Even safe Bet22 can be dangerous for inexperienced kids. Besides external threats, there is a probability that the child won’t be able to control the time on the Internet, will begin to put off important things, or will become an Internet addict.
The task of parents is to acquaint them with the Internet, to tell them about the rules of behavior on the web and the threats they may encounter.
How to Control Your Child Online Ethically
It is not necessary to monitor every step of your child. Remember that the guarantee of his safety on the Internet is a trusting relationship with the parents.
It is also important not to put ultimatum bans. Even if you see that the child spends a lot of time on his phone, you should not take away the gadget or limit access to the network. Today the Internet is a necessary resource, and virtual communication in social networks – an important part of socialization. Talk to your child, share what’s bothering you, and listen to his opinion. If an unreasonable ban may cause a protest, understanding the reason and an agreement with the parent will help to resolve the situation.
It’s not a good idea to monitor your child in secret. Using tracking apps, reading correspondence, checking personal pages in social networks without the child’s knowledge is a gross violation of personal boundaries. Such actions can undermine trust in your relationship and lead to conflicts. Try asking yourself questions: “Why am I worried about the child?”, “Why do I feel like I don’t know something?”
How to Make Sure Your Child Is Safe Online
When you let your child go for a walk alone, you explain to them how to cross the road properly, check to see if their phone is charged, and ask them to call to make sure everything is okay. The same happens on the Internet: It is important to teach your child the basic rules of safety on the Web, and if necessary, to supervise them.
Here are a few ways to do it:
- Gadget’s Kids Mode. To make sure your child is watching age-appropriate content, you can set a child mode. YouTube suggests using the YouTube Kids app, where your child will only get access to videos and channels that you’ve approved.
- Limit Screen Time. This feature allows you to control the time your child spends on apps and social media and limit it if necessary.
- Track your child’s location. If your child moves around the city on their own and doesn’t like to call you, the app will help you know in real time where they are.
- Block certain sites. You can limit access to dangerous sites and resources on your computer so your child won’t encounter inappropriate content.
- Different gadgets for learning and entertainment. Try to separate the gadgets: let your child use the computer only for studying, and the phone or tablet for talking and playing. This will help him stay focused and form a clear idea of when to study and when to relax.
The desire to protect your child on the Internet is natural. You are guiding him in a huge flow of information and shielding him from what can be dangerous and traumatic. However, control should be open, consistent and age-appropriate: the older your child gets, the less you need to control him or her.
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