Living in a digital era, children today seem to learn about different gadgets at a very early age. Among the many gadgets, one of the most common ones is the mobile phone and the computers that allow them to go online. However, it is important to note that the online space is not really safe, given that the number of cybercrimes has increased in the recent past. Sadly, children have become a main target for the hackers, and as a parent, you do not want your child to fall victim of such. Did you know that tracking someone’s Facebook messages is now possible? If your child has already joined Facebook or any other social media platform, you can now regularly check the messages they receive to be sure that they are safe. Let us now look at some of the ways you can keep your children safe online;
1 Talk to them
The first thing that you want to do before taking any other step is to talk to your children. Sit them down and talk to them about how the online space works and let them know that they need to be careful while online. Explain to them in detail about the types of threats they should be aware of that are happening today. After explaining some of the risks that they may face, tell them to tell you in case they encounter any of them. Doing this will mean that your child will be more aware and be free to report in case they notice anything weird while online.
2 Monitor your child while online
Another excellent way to ensure that your child is safe while online is by monitoring them. While they are on their devices, once in a while, join them and see what they are doing. You do not want to seem invasive while doing this because let’s face it- even children enjoy having their own space. Additionally, you can also restrict them from taking their phones to their bedrooms where they are alone, especially for the younger children.
3 Look at who they are talking to
There are a lot of interactions that happen in the online space. You child may innocently say that they have found an online friend not knowing that they might not be a friend as such but a hacker. As such, you want to always look at who your children are talking to online. With the advancements that we have today, it is even possible to read some of their messages without them knowing. There are quite a number of apps and tricks you can use to do this, some of which are absolutely free.
4 Limit their access to various sites
It is very easy for your child to divert to another site that is not age-appropriate for them. This is so because many adds pop up from time to time, which they might click and get redirected to these sites. It is, therefore, advisable to set age restrictions on sites that you do not want your children to access.
Take Away
It is your sole responsibility to ensure that your child is safe at all times while online. Follow the above-mentioned tips and keep on reminding your children that they should report anything unusual they notice while online.