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Ways to Introduce your Kids to the Internet
Introduction
Learning about the internet is no longer optional for children as it used to be. Parents who had thought that they could keep their children “safe” from the ills on the internet, no longer have that luxury. So, in this situation where the internet is the primary platform of our lives, it is imperative that you equip your children for it. In fact, experts would say, sooner the better.
Most parents struggle to themselves understand internet safety and to teach the same to their children. The fact is that we want to protect our children from every danger that exists. In the case of the internet posing the treat, this task is not easy. Given how quickly technology changes, the best way for a parent to do this is enabling their children to recognize the threats and or dangers and alert either an adult or authorities as applicable.
This can only happen through open discussions about these issues and teaching them skills and giving them tools they can use to stay safe online.
- Start by talking
The internet can be a scary place and it is natural for parents to be fearful for their children who don’t realize the extent of those dangers fully. So, the best approach is for parents to talk to their children and educate them and discuss scenarios and situations where the children could become victims of identity theft or cyber bullying or even otherwise get involved. Discuss with your children how they could avoid these situations and never to be silent if they see it happening to others.
- Start early
The sooner you start the discussions, the better. Remember, even if your child is unable to understand everything you say, in the right context, their memory will kick in and alert them of the dangers. Keep exposing your children to computers and other devices and show them tools for online safety even before they are independently using the devices. This will avoid surprises for them when they figure out how to independently use these devices.
- Start slow
Let them start slowly, but at a young age. Start them off on safe sites with parental controls so they get used to the safe environment and can notice differences quickly as they grow.
- Let them play with your phone or tablet
Let them explore your phone or tablet and play with these. This is a great way to give them a hands-on feel of the internet. Also, they will be able to observe how you deal with hacker attacks, or phishing emails.
- Turn off location services
Keep this feature turned off in your children’s device so that they can’t inadvertently give away their location to malicious individuals or parties.
- Make sure that they have the latest security patches installed on their laptop or computer
Keep your operating system and other software updated with latest security patches so that your devices are protected from malicious attacks from hackers and other malicious elements.
- Set restrictions on their mobile device so they can’t access unsuitable content
Use parental controls and other restrictions so that your children can’t access content which you deem unnecessary.
Benefits of internet safety for the kids
- Enables the child to know and understand how cybercrime is committedMaking efforts to teach your child about internet safety, means you are teaching them to be aware of the dangers they could face. They learn how cybercrime is committed and can apply it in other areas of their lives.
2 Allows you to see what your children are viewing on the internet.Check their internet usage regularly. By sitting with them while they do their homework and checking their internet usage at the end of each day, you can learn which websites have been visited, how much time was spent on each one and when it was accessed.
- Helps children to become better prepared for the future.
Teaching about possible crimes on the internet helps them and prepares them to recognize crime in the real world.
- Helps them to grow emotionally strong and resilient.
Helps them to deal with the situation and not let adverse incidents affect their self-esteem. They will learn that shame doesn’t lie with the victim and will be able to come to you for help without feeling shame.
Conclusion
Teaching your children to stay safe in this world is not different from teaching them to stay safe online. Do it regularly, at the earliest and without fail and you will have children that are emotionally capable of dealing with the world, whether offline or online.
