Do you want to know how to protect your children online?
This generation of parents faces a challenge that few others have. The internet serves as a powerful tool for connection and the sharing of ideas. Still, more children need to get onto the internet every day to access school assignments. This is especially true with COVID-19 and remote learning.
As a parent, you need to make sure your children remain safe and protected online.
So, how do you balance keeping your children safe on the internet? Below, we’ll go into our top internet safety for parents advice. Keep reading to learn more!
Safety Tips
Our first tip for internet safety for parents consists of keeping your child safe on the internet from both scammers and predators.
Many experts recommend holding conversations with your child about safe internet behavior. Your talks should include how stranger danger applies to the internet. Advise your child not to speak with anyone online whom they have not met in person. Ask them to limit their conversations with adults to interactions with teachers or relatives.
Tell them that they shouldn’t meet anyone in person if they only know them online. Explain that people sometimes lie about who they are on the internet.
Encourage Conversations
To keep your children safe online, talk to them about the things they experience on the internet. Ask them what they like about the apps and platforms they use. Talk to them about how to remain compliant with safety measures on the internet.
You should also let them know they should always tell you about anyone who makes them feel uncomfortable online.
No Sharing Personal Information
Sharing personal information on the internet always becomes a risk. No one should share their address, credit card information, or social security number online.
Let your child know that they should never share their address, phone number, or other personal details on the internet. Should they need to fill out online forms, tell them to ask you before entering their personal information. This keeps them safe while also educating them on good internet behavior.
Put Parental Controls on Devices
As the parent, you have the right to monitor what your child does on the internet. You can also keep them safe by implementing parental controls on their devices.
Many platforms come with parental control options. First, identify what kind of platform you have. This dictates what kinds of controls become available to you. Chrome OS, for instance, allows you to set up Supervised Users. Supervised Users have their online activities documented, and you can see which sites they have accessed.
Apple allows you to restrict your child’s access to certain sites and apps. This includes any explicit content on the iTunes Store.
You can also set up controls on Android devices.
To discover your options for each and every device you use, we recommend consulting the manufacturers of the device.
Do you want to know which apps come approved for child use? Check out our reviews!
Have Rules for Internet Usage Outside of School
Many families find it helpful to have rules for internet usage outside of school hours. To ensure their safety during school hours, ask them to tell you about everything they need to log onto.
Then, once school hours conclude, establish how many hours they can spend on the internet. This may need to change depending on the specific child and their needs. Sometimes, children may need to do homework online, so make sure they have the ability to do so.
Still, you might set some other parameters. For instance, you might limit internet usage to just an hour or two after your child completes their work. Putting time limits on your kid’s phone or computer usage helps knock screen addiction and helps them learn to manage their time.
Keep Apps and Devices Up-to-Date
Updates often strengthen the security of your devices and apps.
If your software becomes out-of-date, so do the app’s security features. So, when prompted, update the software of all of your apps and devices.
Look for an SSL Certificate/HTTPS
Have you ever wondered what “HTTPS” means and how it differs from “HTTP”?
HTTPS indicates that an organization has installed an SSL certificate. SSL is an encryption protocol that ensures any data transmitted between your browser and a website is encrypted. This encryption prevents a third party from being able to access data transmitted to and from a website using SSL.
Familiarize Yourself with Regulations
The United States has set forth child protection regulations for the internet. This is known as the Children Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA).
All organizations that target their content toward children 13 years of age and younger must adhere to COPPA, so familiarize yourself with the regulations.
If you live outside of the U.S., learn whether your region has put privacy protection into place for your children. If they have, educate yourself about these measures. The European Union has established the General Data Protection Regulation (GPDR) to protect internet users in those countries.
Internet Safety for Parents and the Best Apps
Internet safety for parents has never been a more important topic.
To keep their children safe, parents should monitor their online activity. Multiple ways to do this exist, and parents should refer to the information above to help them protect their kids.
Here at Kids App Review, our staff dedicates itself to finding the best and safest apps for kids. If your child wants a fun app, take a look at some of our apps.
Want to learn more about us and our process? Learn more here!
