6 Ways to Keep Your Children Safe Online

Preventing your children from being manipulated online is challenging. You never know what they’re doing or what new threats they might face. Social media, gaming, and other online platforms all pose a significant risk, especially if your child is left to use them unattended. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to protect them though, and in this post I'm going to share 6 tips to hopefully help.

Encourage Critical Thinking

It's incredibly important to not let your child surf the web without intellectually arming them first. Encourage your child to think critically about the information they come across online. Teach them to question the source of information and to fact-check before accepting any information as accurate. Encourage them to be sceptical of clickbait headlines or sensationalist news stories.

Talk Openly and Honestly

Next, make sure you’re communicating with your child effectively. Maintain an open and honest dialogue with them about their online experiences. Encourage them to come to you with any concerns or questions they may have. Let them know that they can trust you and that you are there to help them navigate the online world safely.

Always be prepared to talk to them about their online habits if they approach you too. Don’t expect them to figure everything out themselves. They probably won’t and they could land themselves (and you) in significant trouble.

Monitor their Social Media Accounts

Parents should also learn how to prevent social engineering where criminals and hackers try to lure young people into divulging valuable personal information. Point out that children shouldn’t provide anyone with information they meet over the internet, and that they should only give out sensitive details with your supervision.

Teach them to Protect their Personal Information

Most children don’t know what sensitive data is. They don’t understand that personal information, such as passwords, addresses, and phone numbers, can be used by online manipulators to target them. Therefore, it's incredibly important to teach them to never share this information online, and to be cautious when asked to provide personal information. 

Set Clear Rules and Boundaries

Another great tactic to prevent your children from being manipulated online is to set rules. Clear boundaries around your child's use of the internet can include limiting their screen time, setting up parental controls, and monitoring their online activity. Ensure that you explain to your child why these rules are in place and the consequences of breaking them. Once they understand the reasons behind them, they are much more likely to follow them.

Use Online Tools

While advances in technology bring more risks, they also provide parents with the power they need to protect their children against the threats they face on the internet. There are many tools available that can help prevent online manipulation. These include parental control software, content filters, and anti-virus software. Take advantage of these tools to protect your child's online activity.

This is a collaborative post.