In 2015, about 60% of children ages 3 to 17 had used the Internet at home. This is six times more than the number of children who did in 1997.
With the Internet becoming more and more accessible, it’s easier for children to find a way to access the entire interweb.
The internet is a scary place, especially for parents. However, you can teach your children online security with these internet safety tips for kids.
- Have Their Devices in an Open Space
One thing you should make sure you do is to have your computer in an open space.
It’s easier for sex offenders and other strangers to bully or trap your child when you can’t see what they’re doing.
Don’t let your child be alone in their room with a device that lets them access the Internet, especially when everyone else has gone to bed.
If you do let them have their devices in private, you could risk them falling prey to online solicitation of a minor.
- Talk to Your Children About Strangers
In the event that your child does use the device without you knowing, you should make sure that you have a talk with them about strangers.
You should make it clear to them that even if they pretend to be, people they talk to online are not their friends.
Explain to them that people can lie about who they really are, and many people pretend to be children. Make sure your child knows never to reveal any personal information to anyone online.
One of the most important things is to make sure that your child knows to never meet up with someone they met online in real life.
- Make Sure There Is Antivirus Software on Their Device
No matter what device they are using, make sure that there is some sort of antivirus or malware software installed.
This will keep them from clicking on bad links or untrusted websites. It will also stop them from downloading any viruses so that they won’t end up ruining the devices as well.
There are all kinds of options out there with different levels of security.
- Set Up Usage Limits
You should also make sure you control how much time they’re allowed to spend on the Internet.
Children would spend forever on there, but make sure that you tell them when they need to get off.
If you don’t set a limit, they will have more time on the Internet to get themselves into trouble.
- Use Parental Control Software
Another thing you could do is install some parental control software on their device.
There are all kinds of programs you could choose, but this will help supervise all of the things your child does on the Internet. You can also control what sites and things they are and aren’t allowed to do.
This software will also notify you if there is anything suspicious or unusual in the Internet activity.
- Come Up With an Agreement
Before you let your child use the Internet, you need to come up with some agreements and rules. Make sure that your child follows them as well.
If you listen to your child and ask them what rule they think are fair, they may be more likely to listen to yours. It will be like a partnership instead of just telling them what they can and can’t do.
You should also agree that there will some be tech-free zones, like during family dinner for example.
- Keep Their Software Updated
You should also make sure that all of the software on their devices are updated.
If there is an update available, you should make sure that you install it. These updates normally come with security patches and other updates that will help keep your child safe and secure on the Internet.
- Know Their Passwords
If you let them have the Internet on their devices, you should also make sure you have the passwords to the device and all of their accounts.
This will help make sure that you can know what they are doing on each site so that you can make sure that they aren’t talking to strangers on the Internet.
However, you should also know that spying on your child’s accounts can make them lose their trust in you.
- Don’t Connect to Unsecured Wi-Fi
When you’re out in public, make sure that they don’t connect their device to some public network. When they are connected to an unsecured network, people could hack into their devices and steal their data.
Online hackers always use this as a way to exploit and hack
When you’re at home, you should make sure that your network is password-protected so that no one can use your Wi-Fi and avoid letting a hacker into your child’s device.
- Don’t Completely Ban Them
The media will always publish stories about bad things that have happened to kids because of the Internet. However, you can’t listen to all of these stories and let the fear keep you from letting your children on the Internet.
There are a lot of benefits to the Internet, and it’s becoming a more vital part of our life every day. You can still let your children use them while also following these tips and being careful about it.
Follow These Internet Safety Tips for Kids to Keep Them Safe
These Internet safety tips for kids will help keep them safe from online hackers, predators, and viruses.
If you follow all of these tips, you will have a little bit more peace of mind that your child is safe even while browsing the web.
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