When used correctly, the online world can be a wonderful place. Fibre connectivity has shifted our way of thinking and opened so many new possibilities of what can be accomplished online. It’s become an integral part of our daily lives, and in the process, the lives of our kids, creating an undeniable need for safety awareness whilst they navigate their way through this space. Knowing how to protect your kids online is integral to their online well-being.
Here are a few ways you can address safety, while still allowing your kids to enjoy spending time online:
Having an open discussion with your kids regarding online safety should be a priority when they start their online journey. As kids are a great deal more vulnerable and trusting than adults, it’s important for parents to inform kids of online dangers such as unsuitable content, accidentally disclosing personal data, online bullying, illegal downloads, viruses, scams and make them aware of the fact that there is no anonymity online.
Know what your kids are doing online and be aware of the risks involved with each platform they use. Whether they are attending classes online, online gaming or spending time on social media, for kids, there are unfortunately risks.
Depending on the platform, here are a few things for you, and them, to be aware of:
Never share personal details with anyone online, including phone number, home address, email address, school name, or passwords.
When sharing content online, be aware of who you’re sharing it with. What they share can linger forever and can be shared by friends and others. Teach them how to use privacy settings on social media platforms, and depending on their age, discourage them from sharing photos and videos online.
Don’t allow your kids to accept friend requests or follows from anyone they don’t know.
When online gaming, gaming chat should be just about the game. If other topics are addressed, they should be suspicious and aware that they should discuss this with you.
Certain apps and networks have geo-tagging features, making your location public. Teach your kids how to protect their whereabouts, and how to turn these features off on the different platforms.
As a parent, it is important for you to be actively involved in your kid’s online well-being. Here are a few things you can consider doing:
Bookmark pages for your younger children that you know they’ll need when doing online research for school.
Depending on your child’s age, make use of appropriate streaming sites like YouTube, Netflix, and Showmax for Kids.
If your child has a YouTube channel, be sure to watch it and read through the comments to spot any signs of online bullying or inappropriate comments. Also ensure that they keep their webcams covered when not in use.
Become friends with your children on social media. It will be much easier to monitor content and interactions online.
Make use of Adblockers, safety features such as Google’s SafeSearch, paid monitoring tools like NetNanny, or download location tracking apps to keep track of your child’s location any time you need peace of mind.
Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) also provide parent-control options. Contact yours to find out more about their specific services.
Enjoy the internet with your kids and show them fun ways to use it, safely. Get them involved with online home workouts, cooking or baking tutorials and video chatting with trusted loved ones. The internet has so much good to offer, and your kids should be able to enjoy and navigate it safely.
Frogfoot Fibre is passionate about education and helping kids experience the internet in a rewarding way. We are offering a FREE line of up to 1 Gbps to all schools in areas covered by Frogfoot Fibre! For more information or to get your school connected, email marketing@frogfoot.com.
Ready to take the leap and get your home connected with Fibre? Check for coverage here!