As parents, we usually do everything we can to keep our children safe and healthy. For example, we get them to slide before staying in the sun, to be careful when crossing a street, and to always wear a helmet when riding a bike. But what do you do to protect them from bullies, predators, and inappropriate online content?
Let’s face it: The Internet is here to stay, and with eighty-three percent of Australian teens online three or more times a day (and that number continues to rise as more and more teens own smartphones), it’s time, if you haven’t already, to add some Internet safety skills to your parenting toolkit. Here are ten tips to get you started.
Talk openly with your child about his or her online activities:
As soon as your child has access to the Internet, talk to them about what they’re reading, what they’re watching, and who they’re communicating with online – and continue the conversation as they get older. Ask your child what websites they visit or apps they use, write a list, and look at it together. Talk to your child about what you think is appropriate, and remind them that this may be different for other parents and their children.
Listen to your child and agree on what is right for your family. Remember that the time will come when your child will access the Internet outside of the safe home, and you want them to be prepared.
It’s important to also teach them that they have a good online reputation and that they need to be mindful of how they behave, interact with others, and represent themselves in such a public forum. They must always remember that the Internet is not private.
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Always monitor your child’s online time, especially with younger children. Place the computer in a central location in the home where you can easily monitor what your child is doing and watching online. For mobile devices, you can forget the Wi-Fi passcode so your children can’t go online without your knowledge. You can also try making an agreement that no tablets, laptops, or games are allowed in the bedroom.
With younger children, you can also consider checking browsing histories after your child has been online to see what websites he or she has visited. Of course, this approach becomes more difficult as kids get older and figure out how to delete browsing histories – all the more reason to open up communication about Internet use at a young age.
2- Know your parental controls
Innocent online searches can lead to not-so-innocent results. Therefore, it is advisable to know how to use the parental controls/search restrictions offered by web browsers, ISPs, and devices. For example, Google’s SafeSearch Filters feature blocks websites with explicit sexual material. To enable it, go to Settings/SafeSearch Filters. Even though parental controls are not 100% accurate, they can prevent your child from seeing and accessing the most violent or sexual content.
3- Know who your children’s online friends are
As adults, we know that some people on the Internet aren’t who they say they are, but children and teens can be frighteningly naive about who they chat with if they aren’t taught to navigate the Internet from a young age.
Make sure you befriend and engage with your child’s social media, and monitor posts. Your children may resist, but tell them that this is one of the conditions under which you allow them access.
4- Be “sharing aware” to protect your privacy
If your child is a regular user of social networking sites, he or she needs to be aware of the risk that personal information or pictures can be made public as soon as he or she posts them. Although your child may not fully understand the consequences of posting personal information online, teach them to be careful and thoughtful about what they post and share. Encourage your children to ask themselves before posting anything if they would give the information (e.g., name, phone number, address, email, school name) or photo to a stranger. If the answer is no, don’t post it.
If your child posts photos or posts on the Internet, ask them to show you what they are posting or ask an older sibling to review photos before they are posted.
Every image and personal detail posted and shared on social media and the Internet contributes to a person’s digital footprint. The big risk here is that once information is shared publicly, it can be used in ways you don’t expect and can’t control. You should also assume that anything posted online is permanent (it can sometimes be deleted, but not always before others have seen and saved it). For this reason, children and teens need to protect their images and information well. The same goes for parents who regularly post pictures of their children online.
Teach your child to maintain control of his or her digital footprint by sharing it only with people he or she knows and trusts. Encourage your child to use the privacy settings on the social media platforms he or she uses, rather than sharing with all his or her social media friends, and to be selective.
6- Teach your children to keep their whereabouts a secret
Most apps, networks, and devices have geotagging features that can make your location public and lead someone directly to you. These features should be turned off for obvious privacy and security reasons. Digital photos also contain metadata (information about time, date, and GPS coordinates) that may reveal more than you want. Some social media platforms automatically hide or remove this data, but not all, so do your homework and know how much information you’re sharing.
8- Keep track of online time
The Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Guidelines recommend that children aged five to 17 should spend no more than two hours a day in front of a screen. So it’s important to monitor your child’s online time, especially for younger children, to make sure they don’t develop bad habits. Get your kids to agree on a specific amount of time, such as 30 minutes per session, and set a timer – don’t forget to make this a non-negotiable end time. Also, turn off the home wifi at a certain time each evening (ideally before bed) so everyone can take a break from the Internet. You can also try making a few days in your home “screen-free” to encourage everyone to entertain themselves in other, more active, and/or less technology-dependent ways.
9- Experienced in social networks
Educate yourself on how to stay safe on social networks so you can give your kids the best advice. Log in to the social networks and apps your kids use and find out how they can use the privacy settings and reporting mechanisms. Talk to your kids about how to stay safe on social networks. This includes talking to a trusted person if they are concerned and making sure they know what online bullying is – both as a perpetrator and a victim.
If your child uses social networks, be sure they know how to:
- Report inappropriate and/or offensive posts
- Block someone
- Keep information private
10- Lead by example
Set a good example and always model positive online behavior for your children. If they see you being careful and respectful when you’re online, they’ll be more likely to follow in your footsteps. And yes, this includes limiting your own screen time.
Ultimately, you don’t want to scare your child or prevent them from experiencing the many educational, entertainment, social, and other benefits of the Internet, but rather give them the skills and knowledge they need to make the most of it and avoid the dangers.
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