Keeping Your Children Safe Online

Your child is going to go online. Here’s what you should know.

The Internet isn’t going away.

Education, entertainment, socializing, and commerce all involve the Internet these days one way or the other. To keep a child away from it entirely is not only challenging but could place them at a severe disadvantage among their peers and later in life.

At the same time, the Internet isn’t without risks. The dangers don’t just involve strangers but also online purchases, excessive screen-time, and cyberbullying.

If you’re a parent or guardian, you have reason to be concerned.

The good news is that you can do some simple things to make a child’s online experience safer and more secure.

Take Advantage of Parental Controls

One of the first warnings many parents experience when overseeing their children’s online activity is when they inevitably (by accident or on purpose) order something online. It might be a movie or TV show, access to a game, or a subscription to Bazooms Monthly. If your credit card info was stored online and the service auto-filled the info, the child may not have even been aware they were spending your hard-earned money.

Another scenario: Your precious, innocent children may have Googled a perfectly normal name like “Rick Santorum” and discovered that there is an alternative meaning for that name — complete with pictures.

Parental controls on your Internet-connected devices are your best friend when it comes to keeping your children from unauthorized purchases or awkward online searches. Smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, cable services, game entertainment systems, laptops, and even desktop computers all have settings or programs you can download to block certain activities.

Learn how to use them, and ensure each device has these controls active. Keep a record of codes and passwords in a safe place so you can adjust as necessary.

Keep Online Devices Out In the Open

Many parents are already conscious of their children’s amount of screen time. Still, it’s equally important to know what they’re doing online as well.

To accomplish this, keep Internet-connected devices in shared areas of the home so you’re aware of what they’re watching, playing, or interacting with. Many games and activities for children feature noises and music. When things get quiet, it may be time to take a quick look to make sure your child is just reading an ebook and not texting with strangers.

Have your children agree that Internet devices are not to be used alone in their bedroom. You can talk about why, but your position should be firm.

Regularly — perhaps at the end of the day — review browser histories to ensure their online use is responsible.

Get Familiar With Your Child’s Social Media

When I was a kid — back in the Stone Ages — parents knew most of my friends and classmates’ names. I understand that things are different now. In addition to the invention of fire and the wheel, social media is also a thing.

Your child’s circle of friends may now include Bobby from next door and Aubrey from school, but they could also have Franz from Berlin, Seth from Seattle, Junichiro from Nagasaki, and Sully from Boston.

These could all be legitimate, age-appropriate friends. Or they could be someone masquerading as a child.

As a general rule, children are pretty trusting. They make friends easily — especially if there are shared activities or fandoms at play.

Talk with your children about their friends. Ask to see their profiles and, if possible, review their online conversations either in real-time or in a chat log. If anything looks suspicious, ask more questions, or go ahead and block that suspicious person. This should be a nonnegotiable aspect of your online use policy.

Have the log-in information for each of your child’s accounts. Your children may object, but be firm. It’s an essential facet of online safety. Show your children how to keep information private, how to block individuals, and how to report inappropriate activity.

Go Ahead and Talk About Cyberbullying

As with bullying in the real world, many children don’t want to talk about cyberbullying. They might find it embarrassing or don’t know how to deal with the complicated social effects and feelings involved.

That makes open discussion about cyberbullying even more crucial.

If you sense something is wrong with your child’s online experience, and it’s spilling into their home and school life, look at their online interactions. They may be a victim of cyberbullying.

If so, take immediate steps by talking with your child about what’s going on, then contact the appropriate authorities to put a stop to it. In most cases, cyberbullying occurs within the scope of the school, so contacting parents, teachers, and school administrators would be a proper place to begin.

If cyberbullying turns into threats — either physical or otherwise — you can also contact the police.

Set an Example

Children notice a lot more than you may realize, and they often model their behavior on yours.

As necessary as it is for your children to limit screen time, so should you as well. Demonstrate what positive online behavior looks like by conducting yourself accordingly.

The Internet is a powerful tool and is pretty much indispensable to modern life. It’s already a significant part of social interaction and has increasingly become more essential to schooling. By showing children how to use the Internet properly, you can keep them from being afraid of the online world and the online skills they’ll need to make the most of it.

Encourage them to have fun and show them how to be safe and responsible at the same time.

Everyone will be the better for it.

About John Teehan

John lives in Rhode Island with his wife, son, and dog. He specializes in tech, health, business, parenting, pop culture, and gaming. Visit wordsbyjohn.net for more info and rates. Twitter: @WordsByJohn2