The internet has become one of the most useful tools nowadays. It allows us to connect with everyone regardless of their location and ethnicity, and be updated with the latest flawless trends. But regardless of its attributes, the online world is not yet the safest place either for adults or children. If you’re planning to quit the internet for good only because you’ve heard it is not safe enough, it may not be a wise choice.
Luckily for you, there are plenty of security measures you can opt to offer your child, daily access to information, and his favorite shows or music without putting him in danger or posing as a strict parent. Here are a couple of steps you should consider if you’re a concerned parent:
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1. Find a Common Area to Place Computers
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It might sound like a crazy idea, but placing the computer in a common area of your home might come in handy when you’re busy, and your kid wants to watch or play something. You will be surprised at how much your mere presence around him while using the internet can impact his activity. By doing so, your kid won’t know if you are or not watching him across the room. Once you’ve established where the computer should stay, make sure it isn’t turned toward a wall, and you have a good view of his activity.
2. Learn more about the internet
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The best way to learn about the internet and all its insides, it would be to spend more time online with your kid. Don’t be embarrassed to watch videos on how to understand the online world better. Doing so, you’ll have a better perception of your child’s needs and actions. You can always set parental control on every device in your house.
When your kid wants to watch something that’s not available in your country, you can always rely on a VPN Overview and with Disney plus, therefore having a VPN is another trick you should take into consideration if you wish to maintain your child’s safety in the online medium. Therefore, to learn more about the internet means you have to use the internet, so don’t be embarrassed if you have to google basic stuff.
3. Try to be reasonable with time and internet usage
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It’s important to make them aware of the dangers lurking on the internet while at the same time to act accordingly and not to be too harsh on them. The best thing you could do as a parent is to have an honest and open conversation about what they need to avoid to remain safe and keep track of the sites he uses for his homework.
4. Always remind them about the “The Rule”
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Children and dangerous people use many social media platforms that are popular nowadays. Therefore, the old rule” never talk to strangers” is applicable even in the online medium. Your duty as a parent is to offer him a better understanding of these dangers and assure his safety through parental control software and a reliable VPN provider.
The internet should not be a dangerous place for your children if you take necessary safety measures and keep them updated to possible threats. Therefore, you don’t have to be that harsh on them as long as you educate them properly.
5. Update those privacy settings
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Online predators, not only that they’re a real danger for children with unsupervised internet access, but the latest developments in the digital age made their pursuits easier than ever. This means that children don’t even have to talk to strangers much less type a single sentence; videos and photo updates, location, and hobbies, all these are valuable clues for a driven stalker. But since social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, or Tweeter are continually updating their privacy settings, as a preoccupied parent, you should do it too.
6. You can monitor devices remotely
There are numerous programs specially intended to monitor devices remotely. And because some kids are simply rebellious and often obtain their own accounts or devices, concerned parents see those programs as a desperate solution. Programs such as GlassWire, Zoho Assist, and Zabbix help parents monitor in real-time everything their children do online, starting from emails, text messaging, passwords, gaming forums, bullying, and even more.
7. Teach them to keep private info private
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Even though using social media isn’t completely forbidden in your home, always insist that your kids never reveal their real name, last or first, where they live, go to school, hang or play. The exact same things are available for “sharents” too, as many of them overlook the importance of safety and privacy.
Parents often tend to share private information, pictures, and status updates on social media, which, sooner or later, might comprise an entire family’s safety. But setting strict rules, and keeping your eyes constantly on what your children’s updates or explores might be a sure way to maintain your family’s safety.
8. Consider a mature content filtering software
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Net Nanny is one of the best content filtering software you can trust to protect your children from an abundance of adult content. Net Nanny filters everything regarding the violent content, lurking pornography and other sketchy content surprises and even allows you to filter and alter what they do online when there’s no one around.
The internet should not be a dangerous place for your children if you take necessary safety measures and keep them updated to possible threats. So, you don’t have to be that harsh on them as long as you educate them properly. Keep in mind that proper rules and proper filtering programs might come in handy if you want to protect your children from cyberbullies, child predators, and identify thieves, but that doesn’t mean you can’t teach them by example. When in doubt, show them how. Not just explain them. Provide them with transparent and honest examples of how to surf on the internet and be safe at the same time.
