6 Blunders Parents Make Concerning Kids Internet Use
While most people love surfing the internet, it may not be a fun experience for kids. Besides, adults can easily distinguish right and inappropriate content, but kids are mostly unaware of the things or people who can put them at risk. If your child has a computer/phone and access to the internet, it’s not easy to ascertain what they do behind closed doors. While attempting to ensure that kids behave responsibly online, some parents make many blunders.
Below are the errors parents make regarding kids and the internet:
1. Not addressing online threats
Although there are many dangers online, most parents assume that their kids are already aware of the risks associated with internet use. Others suppose that they are not worth discussing. As a parent, you should review the sites that your kid shouldn’t visit, especially those containing sexually explicit content. Educate your kid why not to share their personal details online, and this includes home address and telephone numbers.
Secondly, be open and approachable, and this makes it easy for your child to share with you their fears. But, if your child keeps on conversing with strangers on social media, do away with the device until they are old enough to make the right judgments for themselves. By typing “sell my cell phone online” on Google, you’ll be overwhelmed by the many websites that can help you trade in your old phone.
2. Assuming that strangers met online are legitimate
While using the internet, your child interacts with different people, and it’s not easy to recognize their intentions. There are child online predators, cyberbullies, and sex offenders who will use all tactics to gain your child’s trust.
Some of these strangers will even offer gifts, cash, and other things that they think your child lacks at home. Others may purport to be the same age as your child and give a fake name, address, and other personal information to lure your child to do the same in return. For this reason, help your child understand that not everyone met online has good intentions.
3. Believing that you can’t watch your child’s online activities
Due to technological advancements, it’s easy to acquire software programs to assist you in tracking your child online. There are several reasons why parental control is important regarding internet safety for ki. Thus, these are great tools that empower you to check your child’s texts.
You can as well check the sites visited and any materials downloaded. Remember, it’s easy for your child to visit websites containing adult content and even download some of the unsightly images. Although some parents feel that doing this invades the child’s privacy, it’s an invaluable way of keeping your child safe.
4. Allowing kids to use computers in their rooms
Teens love their privacy and will generally place the gadget in their bedrooms. If you permit your child to do this, it will be hard to tell what they do unless you have a kid-friendly browser to limit them. Your child can stay up the entire night, and you won’t know it. However, if you have the computer in a common area, it will be easier to keep an eye on your child and also limit the screen time.
5. Assuming that your child can’t get hurt online
There are several cases of online bullying, and your child is no exception. Online threats, gossiping, sharing images, or lies about your kid all happen online. Create a friendly environment for your child to approach you when having concerns about online bullying. You should also save the incident and report the abuse immediately.
6. Granting kids privacy with their devices
Typically, kids won’t want parents to know who they chat with on social media. For this reason, some parents love giving their kids some space to do their stuff online. But, this exposes kids to many dangers, and it’s also your role to guard our child against explicit materials, cyberbullies, and child predators.
Final thoughts
Kids and the internet are intertwined, and modern technology has opened an entirely new world for children of all ages. But, many risks come with the use of technology, and parents should be diligent and safeguard their kids from such online threats.
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