How to Protect Your Young Child from Cyberthreats
Spy Phone at Jun 28 2020 5:34PM
How to Protect Your Young Child from Cyberthreats
Today, the internet has become an integral part of our daily life, including that of our kids. While the world wide web certainly has a lot of advantages by making our lives easier, it does come with several risks.
Especially considering the amount of inappropriate adult content, hacking and virus threats, cyberbullying, and other cyberthreats we have today, it is imperative that parents take measures to protect their kids.
Below, we discuss the different measures you can take to protect young children from all kinds of cyberthreats.
• Have an honest conversation with them
The first step to ensuring your kids stay safe online is by informing them about the dangers that they may face. Kids are often naïve and more vulnerable to online risks, so make sure that they are aware of common suspicious online activities and what they should and shouldn’t do.
Even just clicking on the wrong link and visiting dubious websites can cause harm, and people on the internet may not always be who they claim to be. Once you establish a basic understanding in them, it becomes easier for them to follow the rules you have set.
• Never let them give out personal information
Remind young children that stranger danger applies online too. Teach them to protect their identity when they are online. They may easily disclose their personal information like name, email, address or phone number thinking that they have nothing to lose, but this can be extremely dangerous.
Scammers can easily trick kids into disclosing their personal information through various channels and methods. Sometimes, they even target online games which are popular among kids, posing as their peers and extracting information from them.
• Monitor their online activity closely
Especially with younger kids, it’s best to monitor their online activity closely. Make sure that they know they are only allowed to use phones, tablets and laptops when you say so or when you are around. Many parents only allow their young kids to download apps or visit certain sites after their approval.
Many devices, browsers, apps and sites have parental control available, where you can apply age restrictions and control the kinds of content that your children see online. It is also important to limit children’s screen time. Make sure that your kids are not glued to the screen all day even though it may keep them distracted. Too much screen time isn’t healthy for anyone.