Making The Internet Safe For Our Children
A world without the Internet is now unimaginable and reports published this year suggest that more than 4 billion people around the world are using it. We now use the Internet to discover information, to communicate with people, to listen to music, to watch videos, to shop from home and to manage our finances. In every sense the Internet truly has revolutionised our lives and naturally the lives of our children. In this article from PSD Net, we look at how we can help keep the Internet safe for our children and also direct you to websites that may be helpful to you.
Computers For Homework
Children are naturally curious and they learn through exploration. Long gone are the days when the family had one computer, which was shared so that everyone could see what everybody else was doing. The norm today is for children to have their own computers in their rooms and to have smartphones and tablets and it can be a real challenge for parents to monitor how their children are using all of these devices.
Beware!
It’s important that we safeguard them from inappropriate contacts who may wish to exploit or abuse them and to prevent them from seeing improper content, which may be of a sexually explicit nature or may be racist or extreme. They also must be protected from giving away personal information including financial details as well as preventing viruses and spyware entering their computers.
The Internet can also lead to:
- Cyberbullying
- Cyberstalking
- Clickjacking
- Sexting
- Gaming
- Copying and cheating
Social Media
The huge number of social media sites makes it very difficult for us to keep track of those that are children are using and when. WhatsApp recently banned children under the age of 16 from using their platform in the EU ahead of the new EU data privacy regulations (GDPR), which came into effect in May. However, for most other social media services including Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram and Skype, users need only be aged 13.
Keeping The Internet Safe
You probably don’t want to ban your children from using this ‘nasty’ place called the Internet and the solution is to find a balance between throwing down the law and being too liberal. Don’t panic! There are things you can look into.
- Parental blocks
- Privacy settings
- Antivirus software
- Child-friendly browsers
Most Internet browsers have an Internet options folder, which allows you to set up security safeguards and content filters. Also try not to let your children shop online without you and teach them to keep private information private. And don’t forget to talk to your children about the dangers and try to be engaging and certainly not confrontational.
What To Do Next
If you are a parent and worried about how your child or children are using the Internet, there are sites that have a lot of useful and helpful information. The NSPPC have teamed up with O2 to give advice to make the Internet a safer place for your children.
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/onlinesafety
https://www.saferinternet.org.uk
https://www.internetmatters.org/
Parental control software includes:
https://family.norton.com/web/
http://www1.k9webprotection.com
Child-safe search engines include:
https://www.safesearchkids.com
Please note that PSD Net is not endorsing any of these products, but feels that they could help your children stay safe on the Internet.
PSD Net provides IT support for businesses in Kent, London and the South East. For more information call 01622 870293 or email info@psd-net.co.uk