Internet Safety for Children

Internet safety for Children depends on Parents' awareness of the risks and knowing how to keep their Children safe.

Today during the pandemic almost every child has access to the internet due to online schooling. Apart from online schooling, they also connect with friends over social media, are engaged in online gaming, instant messaging, watching videos online, and so on. These children are digital natives who live in a digital community or digital world if you may. Like all communities, there are risks and dangers.

10 things every parent can do to keep their kids safe online:

1. Place children's devices in view
   Always encourage the use of devices such as mobile, tabs, or laptops in the drawing-room or open spaces of the house. Do not permit the use of internet devices in isolated areas of the house. Let the screen be viewed by Parents at all times.
2. Set Parental Controls on children's devices
   Set parental controls on children's devices and profiles. Safe browsing and searching tools are also available on browsers, search engines, and internet service providers' settings. This will eliminate or reduce the chances of children discovering inappropriate content on the internet.
3. Follow an online schedule
   Keep a reasonable time slot for children to use the internet, especially social media. That means setting limits on online time.
4. Keep your family safe online
   Be mindful and discuss with your family what each member of your family is posting online. Anything that is posted online creates a digital footprint. Even if someone has posted something online and deleted it later, there are chances it may already have been copied or downloaded by someone else, who can misuse it against your family. Anything shared on the internet is shared forever.
5. Do not share personal information, location, etc Explain to your children about the risks of posting names, addresses, phone numbers, places you visited or are planning to visit, location details. Keep your private details private.
6. Do not befriend total strangers Alert your children on not accepting strangers as their online friends/connections who can access their personal information online. Those strangers could be:
   
   
   • Predators — for example, in social media messages or gaming lobby chat rooms.
   • Cyberbullies — children can be targeted by online bullies, including real-life ones.
   • Phishing scammers — they trick your child out of sensitive info about themselves or you.
7. Know your children's online connections
   Do a periodic check of your children's online connections. Explain to them that you are doing this for their safety.
8. Discuss with children what they do on the internet
   Have a healthy discussion with your children on what their online activities are. The main purpose of this discussion is that one day children will access the internet from outside the house's safety and they have to be ready for that. Let your child know what they can and cannot do on the Internet.For example, your guidelines could tell your child whether they are permitted to: :* Register with social networking or other websites
   
   
   • Make online purchases
   • Download music, video, or program files
   • Use instant messaging programs
   • Visit Internet chat rooms
   • If your child is allowed to use instant messaging and/or visit chat rooms, it’s worth explaining to them that it’s dangerous to chat with or send messages to anyone that they don’t know and trust.
9. Set an example
   Parents should set examples of what they do on the internet and social media, also limiting their own screen time, as children imitate examples set. Let your children know that the internet has educational, entertainment, social, and other benefits.
10. Consult Parents or Teachers in case of uncomfortable online conversations
    Explain to children that they should bring it to the attention of their Parents or Teachers as soon as they feel uncomfortable with any online conversation.

It is every Parents' responsibility to monitor their childrens’ online activities. Parents are the most easily accessible and trusted guardians of their children. So children should have a comfort level established to talk with their Parents on uncomfortable issues they face with people they connect online.

There is a lot of literature available on the internet on this topic, but what is most important is Parents have to put this into practice and ensure that their Children work together with their Parents in trust on issues they encounter online.

Image source-pexel