Kids have always been vulnerable and easy to predict, making them a target for predators and scammers. At the onset of the pandemic, parents thought it’d be more convenient to keep track of their children, especially since they rarely leave home. The truth is there are still potential risks even when your whole family is gathered inside the house. Such danger lies beneath smartphones and tablets your kids don’t let go of.
For years, parents have been warned the internet is a dangerous place for children. However, since the education system was forced to transition to online learning, it’s no longer possible to restrict kids from being online. Once again, parents hold the reigns and must take initiative on elevating internet safety for their children.
Internet Dangers To Watch Out For
The key is to be able to tell which internet activities are already posing danger to your kids. Don’t forget they’re still young and most often than not, they don’t know what they’re doing and how it can impact their life.
For your children, the internet is nothing but a tool they can use to study, play, and connect with friends. However, this is where online predators are waiting for a chance to sneak into and target them.
There’s a wide range of risks and dangers that may affect your kids online. Some of them are:
Sexual Exploitation
It’s baffling how sexual predators continuously find ways to exploit children. It’s as if they’ve also learned to adapt and decided to migrate to social networking sites where young people go online. Sites like Facebook practically offer centralized information about children including their complete name, photos, location, and even personal interests.
To prevent your kid from falling victim to this kind of internet danger, make sure you educate them on how to use social media properly through Beryllium Info Sec’s tips. It’s your responsibility as a parent to assess whether or not a particular online encounter of your child with someone is considered a red flag or not. Get to know those people who are contacting your child and find out how they got ahold of your kid’s information.
Research on the different red flags to watch out for regarding online safety for children. It’ll also help to learn how to handle such situations.
Cyberbullying
Bullying is another societal stigma that seems to evolve despite continuous efforts to fight it. Bullies are now taking over the online world and if you’re not careful enough, your kids could be their next target. Cyberbullying is defined as any electronic activity that’s characterized as threatening, aggressive, and mean-spirited. It can be in several forms such as Facebook comments and tags or email and personal messages via messaging platforms like Messenger or WhatsApp.
What you can do is to talk to your kids about it, so they’ll recognize when they’re already being cyberbullied. Let them know they can count on you anytime and that you’ll be there to protect them from anyone.
Check their personal messages and find out how they normally spend their time online. Who do they interact with? Are they always playing online games or spending time on their social media accounts? Discuss with them the dangers of exposing themselves too much online. Make them aware of online gaming etiquettes as well as what to watch out for whenever someone’s trying to reach them or interact with them.
Exposure To Age-Inappropriate Content
Age-inappropriate content can range from foul language, acts of assault, and alcohol or drug abuse to hate speech and sexual images. It’s impossible to censor everything that reaches your child’s online grasp, so you should set parental controls.
There are parental control software you can purchase and install into your kid’s gadgets. The software allows you to tweak and modify privacy settings as needed. You can also block specific content and websites you think are posing dangers to your child.
Conclusion
The internet is here to stay, and so are the dangers that come with it. It’s not possible to restrict your child from utilizing the internet, but it doesn’t mean you can no longer ensure their online safety.
Knowing these potential internet dangers can significantly help in putting a stop to them. The key is to educate not just yourself but also your children. Remind them to not overshare online, particularly their personal information. Most of all, maintain open communication between you and your kids, so they’ll know they can count on you whenever they feel attacked or unsafe online.
