With the pandemic keeping most of us at home these past few months, we have been spending more time online now. Yes, our kids are no exception.
While being online allows our children to connect, learn, and play, there’s no denying that the online world is not the safest space for these young minds.
How do we keep them safe then? Here are some tips to make sure our kids are staying safe in their digital experiences.
1. Establish open communication.
Trust is essential in parent-child relationships because young ones should feel safe and confident enough to tell us everything, good or bad. Keep an open line of communication and make it clear to our kids that they can always come to you for advice or guidance, especially if they are not sure about the information presented to them online. Set rules and limitations when using their devices, and explain the need for such policies.
2. Monitor their usage regularly.
Make sure you have information on how the kids use devices. Place the desktop or laptop where you or another guardian can see them using it. Make it a habit to also check their browsing histories.
3. Familiarize yourself with basic online security measures.
There are some ways you can protect your child online without having to be too strict on them. You can opt to use a reliable virtual private network or VPN, which is more capable of blocking certain websites from obtaining your computer’s information. Always install and check your antivirus software and make sure it’s up to date, alongside your computer’s operating system. Setup online accounts with very strong passwords, educate yourself and your kids how to determine phishing emails and suspicious items they should not download.
4. Don’t let their lives revolve around their screens.
As online learning and socializing increase, it’s become more and more challenging to get children off their mobile phones. Schedule offline bonding activities that not only curb their addiction to screens, but also keep them moving and doing exercises. What about a WiFi-free day?
5. Set time limits.
Only allow your child to access the internet for specific times—like when they have an online class, or a 30-minute to 1-hour time limit for leisure activities over the weekend, and stick to that. Inform them why you need to impose that limit and if you can, model the behavior too. With this, they are less exposed to the dangers of the internet.
6. Educate them about healthy online habits.
If kids are well-informed about what is good and what is not, chances are they will turn to you when they see the latter. Educate them about the good and the bad kinds of content. For example, show them ad samples that convey positive information compared to an ad that has an unhealthy message. Inform them about the difference between a good habit versus a bad one, like cyberbullying or stalking.
7. Go the extra mile by blocking certain websites.
The good news is parents can block certain websites that are unsafe for children to access. You can start with search engines like Google. Google allows you to filter content that comes out when you search by enabling SafeSearch. If your little one is using Chrome on Android or Chromebook, then you can manage their Chrome activity too. The major computer operating systems also have built-in settings that will let you block inappropriate sites.
