What steps can parents take to ensure their children’s online safety?
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which takes place in October, emphasizes the importance of shielding our devices and data from possible online dangers. There are many available resources to help you to be informed besides quick tips for protection of your information and data. You can also visit the website of staysafeonline, which is managed by the National Cybersecurity Alliance, as one suggestion if you want to learn how to secure your devices, safeguard your privacy. The key is to educate yourself in this regard and choose the best cybersecurity system.
This month, as we talk about cybersecurity, it is also of paramount importance to think about how to keep our kids safe online. There has never been a more crucial time to be concerned about our children’s online safety. With homework applying online resources hereof, many schools are still offering many online classes. Even video games are incorporating more and more online teamwork. This also implies that even though we make an effort to limit screen time, our children spend more time online than offline.
Open Communication is essential.
Even if you do not deeply believe in that it has anything to do with their safety or security, start having conversations with your children right away about anything related to technology and online matters. Consistent check-ins with respect to their online activities will not seems as intrusive if they are aware of your curiosity about what they enjoy doing online generally.
Work together with them to establish the guidelines you expect them to abide by when using the internet, and assure them that you will not become irate if they approach you with a concern in this regard, even if it is because they have broken some of the guidelines you have established hereof. Carry on engaging with them in their online activities whether in social media, gaming or even homework to help them feel less afraid of talking to you about issues they have in an online context.
Open general conversations with your children can also be a result of this practice which is regarded as a bonus hereof.
Identify Who and How They Are Speaking To
The majority of children’s gaming platforms have taken security measures to guarantee that players can only communicate with each other outside of the game. However, as your children grow up, those protections become increasingly scarce. Even though you are aware of the security measures in place, it is of paramount importance to use the channels of open communication you have already established to monitor to whom they talk within each platform.
If your kids and children are conversing with their friends within the game contexts or social media, you have to be sure you trust the site to maintain your child’s safety. Moreover, talk about any warnings that they should report to you. These are some examples in this regard: If someone starts talking to them frequently that they do not know who is he or she, if an individual starts asking them about the information pertaining to their personal lives including their home address or favorite things, or if someone requests that they send them images or photos or make an in person meeting. Clarify this matter for your children that they must keep you informed if they wish to continue having online activities and that you are always available in the event that they encounter something suspicious in order to lessen the risk regarding their safety.
Use an online monitoring system without fear.
Even though we have talked regarding keeping the lines of communication open with your kids and children, I do not think we can count on them to always be completely honest with us. In spite of not having access to today’s modern technology, were we always completely honest with our parents when we were young?
Although it may seem like an invasion of their privacy via using an online monitoring system to control their online behaviors, it is a useful tool to ensure both their safety and privacy as well as those of your family. This article also offers a few ideas out of the countless possibilities available. You can make sure that your kids and children cannot access the monitoring system’s control panel. Furthermore, you should assure the system ability so as to control and watch over the things that you consider to be paramount of importance. Probably, your children may react poorly while it is our responsibility to keep them safe, and I fully back you.