Saturday, February 11, 2017

How To Keep Our Kids Safe In A Growing Digital World

We all know how much the internet has to offer in our everyday life. It makes it easier to shop, easier to find information, easier to start a business, and easier to share your thoughts with communities and blogs. But it can also be a bit lawless. You don’t want your children getting too exposed to the kind of things you would keep them away from in the real world. But you don’t have to cut them off from the digital world completely. Instead, you can do a little more to make sure they’re using the internet as safely and as responsibly as possible.



Use the parental controls

First of all, it’s a good idea to get acquainted with any device before your child starts using it. That’s because most of them have some kinds of parental controls that can limit the content they’re allowed to access. If you’re getting a new router, look for those that have parental controls that can limit the kind of content accessible through any device, whether it’s a computer, smartphone, games console and so on. These parental controls allow you to select different categories of websites to block. You can be more particular with what you block for whom with the family devices, too. Creating different profiles with different passwords allows you to have your kids operate a ‘child safe’ profile, while you can use your own judgment with a profile that has less restriction.

See what they’re up to

Of course, if your kids are savvy enough, then they might be able to get past those restrictions. If you’re really concerned, then consider keeping an eye on what they’re doing. You can get programs on the computer that monitor activity and services that can even track a cell phone, allowing you to see the sites and apps that they’re using. It’s a good idea to talk about this with your kids first. They shouldn’t have anything to hide from you, but you should maintain that trust by being upfront.

Protect their devices

It’s not all about what they’re going to access, but what can access them as well. Malware and hacking aren’t just bad for devices and keeping private information and data safe. It can also inadvertently lead people to download software or go to sites that can put them in even more jeopardy. When you get a new device for the home, make sure that you’re doing what you can to protect it through anti-malware software and call-locking that keeps them safe from outside intruders.

Talk to them about it

In our current age, we’re soon probably going to have our knowledge of technology eclipsed by the youngsters. Before they get self-sufficient with their technology, they need to understand the dangers online. You need to talk to them about shopping online safely by recognizing secure and respectable sites, about phishing scams and social media privacy, and particularly about how they talk to strangers on the internet and what they reveal. Creating a safety savvy kid is the best way to make sure they stay secure in the long run, rather than having to always watch over them.

No comments:

Post a Comment