Today, it’s not realistic to keep your kids off the Internet entirely. But parents can help their children use technology safely by getting involved in their online life, just as you do in their real-world life. Kids need guidance on managing difficult situations online, like handling a cyber bully attack or avoiding questionable sites that show up in their search results. Here are four steps you can take to help ensure your children stay safe when using technology.
Educate and Raise Awareness
The first step in protecting kids online is to make sure they are aware of potential dangers and know how to avoid them. Kids need to understand that anyone they meet online is a stranger if they don’t know that person in real life. And even people they do know can be cyber bullies.
Social engineering is also targeted at kids, who often don’t think through the results of their actions online. It’s also important for kids to be aware that something they post today could be found years from now by colleges or potential employers, which could negatively impact their future.
Talk with your kids about these dangers, guide them through what to do if they encounter a problem and explain how they can avoid bad situations online.
Set Expectations and Define Rules
Explain what’s allowed — and what’s not allowed — while they’re using a computer, tablet or smartphone. Describe when and where it’s okay to use technology, along with which sites they can visit on the Internet, what apps they can use and what games they’re allowed to play. You can also set screen time limits and store their devices in a central location once their time limits are up.
Posting your rules at home can help ensure that everyone knows what’s okay and what’s not. Consider adding the consequences for breaking the rules as well. Make sure your children understand the rules and agree to them. And be clear about rules that apply outside your home, for example, at a relative or friend’s house or the school library.
Monitor Social Media Sites
If you want to know what is going on in their digital — and actual — lives, create accounts and follow your kids on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or whatever other apps they use. This allows you to monitor their actions and interactions online, and it will help you understand what they are facing on a day-to-day basis. From time to time, review the apps on their devices and ask to see how a given app works if you haven’t used it before. If they aren’t willing to share, it may be time to outlaw that app.
Separate Work and Play with a Dedicated Device
Even if you want to limit your child’s activity online, there are some advantages to giving them a dedicated device of their own rather than allowing them to use one of your devices. If they accidentally download malware or viruses, those won’t infect the family computer — or your smartphone. And if your kid’s device becomes unusable, you won’t have to worry about your family’s financial records, pictures or other vital documents being lost.
The key is to foster an environment where your child’s online activities are as open as real-world events. That allows you to guide your kids through the pitfalls and social challenges of cyberspace. If you’d like to learn more about online security for children, visit the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s website or StaySafeOnline.org.