In today’s digital era a child has to blend its life with the internet and it is here that the role of cybersecurity becomes more and more important for the parents. It has become more important now than the physical harm to the kids.
The child can see the audio and video clippings through a smartphone or a tablet and which can tend to become more harmful. Here are a few important tips that will allow you to keep the kids safe.
Tips for Keeping Kids Safe from Online Threats
1. Discuss frankly with your child the online activities he is involved in. Have a detailed conversation with your child about the sites that he visits.
2. Monitor your child’s online devices. Keep a close track of the gadgets that your kid uses and check them regularly.
3. Keep a tab with screens and other devices. Maintain strict control over his devices and blue screens.
4. Use filters to stop pornography. Enable parental control on all their devices, which block any harmful or adult sites.
5. Try to gauge who your child’s online friends are. Look into the friends that he is making inline or the kind of people he is in touch with online.
6. Teach your child the pros and cons of social media posting. The child must be aware of both the ups and downs of being active on social media and choose for oneself.
7. Check that the family’s digital footprint is not misused. Warn the child about not abusing the online credentials of the family but always maintain a safe space.
8. Geotagging features should be off while your child is using the net. Disable any such features that may have negative effects on the child.
9. Try to use a virtual private network so that the system is not tracked. A VPN makes the browsing more secure by masking your IP address.
10. See that the child does not spend too much time on unnecessary activities over the net. Monitor the time that the child spends on the internet. Try to keep it very minimal.
11. Check the privacy and security of the apps which your child is using. Make sure the child invests his time in the right kind of apps and not any scams.
12. Ask your child to be vigilant in reporting offensive posts. Prepare your child to be away from any negativity on the internet and to stand up against cyberbullying.
13. System and computer must be kept in proper shape. The software and the hardware of the device should be well maintained at all times to minimize drop rates or lags.
14. Try to gauge the skill levels of the child as to how much he knows. Question the child about his in-depth knowledge of the internet and for what purposes does he usually navigate it.
15. Try to find out what type of social media group your child is in. Motivate your kid to be in positively active groups that partake in social awareness or education and avoid any sort of adultery.
16. The child should know the very basics. The basics of the internet should be crystal clear for the child at all times. They must be well aware of the Dos and Don’ts.
17. Going online together with your kid is another good option. Browsing the internet together is an effective way to keep them on the right track and teach them the right things.
18. Help the child in choosing age-appropriate games and apps. Provide facts to the child about why certain applications are age-restricted and educate them about choosing the right games and apps according to their age.
19. Try to use parental tools. Parental tools or a parental lock is an effective way to keep the child within safe boundaries.
20. Observe the quality of online activities your child is using. The online activities of the child should be measured in terms of its quality and productivity.
21. Ask your child to formulate a complex password; you can help him also. Passwords are very important in today’s time. Help your child to come up with a password that is easy for him to remember but is complicated to crack to ensure maximum safety.
22. Ask your net service provider to improve your network security. A strong and drop free internet connection is always hard to come by but makes things a lot easier.
23. Always try to use the Firewall. A firewall protects the computer from any sort of malware that could harm the computer.
24. Ensure your child does safe surfing. Make sure your child visits only those websites that are family-friendly and safe for everyone.
25. Ask your child not to respond to messages from unauthorized sources. Respond to only those people that you directly know or are mutual friends.
26. Regularly go to the scam advisor and check for new scams. Be very careful of scams and fake articles.
27. Ask your child to back up the data regularly. Backing up your data to cloud storage ensures that there is no loss of data.
28. Stop any usage of your child in the unsupervised chat rooms. All chat rooms should be well moderated and safe for the child to use.
29. See that the child is not subject to cyberbullying. Educate your child about the concept of cyberbullying and teach them to stand up against it if it ever happens.
30. The system and the machine should be placed in such an area where all family members can have a look. The area where the device is placed should be easily accessible for everyone so that anyone from the family can monitor it.
31. Ask your child to use the net for a specified period only. Schedule a time for the child, maybe a few hours only, during which he has access to the internet.
32. Explain to the child the dangers of cybercrime. Make your child aware that cybercrime is a serious offense and is severely punishable.
33. No video calls or face to face chatting to be encouraged. Keep the contacts on social media to a bare minimum and restricted to messages only.
34. Refrain your child from uploading or downloading any photography material. Do not indulge in the billions of photographs present online until it is school-related.
35. Regularly have a dialogue with your child regarding online activities. Keep the conversation about the usage of the internet very open in the family and ask questions regularly.
36. Try to gauge whether your child is using any other computer. Make sure you are aware of the total number of devices that your child uses to access the internet and that you are monitoring them regularly.
37. Tell the child not to meet strangers. Meeting with strangers that you meet online is a big NO, no questions asked.
38. You must know the password of your child. There should be complete transparency between you and your child regarding passwords so that he does not give in to any unruly activities.
39. Watch the attitude in your child’s behavior very carefully. Observe the attitude and behavior of your child very closely, especially before and after using the internet, and notice if there are any changes.
40. Check out whether anybody is sending any gift to your child. Monitor all his online interactions and chats.
41. Regularly check your child’s browsing history. Browsing history should not be cleared by the child and should be monitored by you regularly.
42. Keep a tab on the child’s web explorer regularly. Make sure the parental lock is always on, and it is the right browser.
43. Tell your child not to divulge private info to anybody. Your child should be smart enough to not share private information with unknown people.
44. THE filtering software should be a mature one. The filter software should understand and regulate browsing to protect the child.
45. Always keep communications open. The child should be willing to communicate at all times.
46. One must have a grasp as to what apps are being used. Make sure that the child is using the right kind of apps.
47. Check the reviews of the apps and the sites your child is using. The apps or sites that the child is using should have positive reviews and ratings in addition to a kid’s friendly interface.
48. Check that the child does not land on any wrong site. Wrong sites should be blocked by the browser at once.
49. The power of the eyes of the child should be constantly monitored. Staring at the blue screen for long hours affects the eyesight, and this should be regularly checked. Glasses with anti-blue light technology help prevent damage.
50. See that the child does not follow any stranger or any controversial man. The child should be influenced by the right kind of people only.
51. Safe mode in Google needs to be installed so that even by mistake, also the child is unable to see wrong things. The safe mode feature in Chrome is a really useful tool to monitor surfing.
52. Have an ad blocker to stop inappropriate content. Pop-up ads are a nuisance, and an ad blocker helps you get rid of them.
53. Ask your child if any stranger makes any uncomfortable statements online. Be very open with your child about the conversations that he has online and ask him anything is wrong.
54. Ask your child not to take calls from unknown numbers. Calls from unknown numbers should not be picked up, and the number should also be blocked to be on the safe side.
55. Conduct a regular check on the apps your child is downloading. The apps being downloaded should be checked to ensure that they are appropriate for the child.
56. Make sure the kid watches age-appropriate content on the net. The kind of content that the child consumes should be kids friendly, and adult content should be avoided at all costs.
57. Try to make the account as private as possible by adjusting the settings.
58. Tell your child about the harmful effects of cyberbullying. The child should be well aware of the dark side of the internet and the repercussions that cyberbullying has.
59. Ask your child to take a screenshot and record of any bullying. Having a record of the bullying helps to punish the culprit.
60. Even in school, make sure the school authorities take adequate measurements to stop cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a seriously sensitive topic and should be dealt with tactfully at all places.
61. The child should refrain from using public wi-fi. Public wi-fi is very unsafe, and the chances of hacking on an open network are very high.
62. A strong antivirus program should be installed on the home computer. An anti-virus is a must for a computer.
63. Installing a VPN on the router will ensure additional security. A VPN is a very useful tool to increase security online.
64. Ask your child to keep all their pieces of information like school names etc. Private. The best way to be safe on the internet is to be anonymous.
65. Show your child what the harmful apps and the sites look like. Give your child a few examples of what harmful sites and apps look like, and ask them to stay away from them at all times.
66. Limiting app permission is also another way of securing. Don’t allow permissions to websites unless it is completely secure.
67. You should have an idea about parental control on Windows 10 and YouTube. Every parent should be aware of parental control, and there are options to exercise it.
68. Create Google accounts through the family link for kids under 13 years. There should be a safe network of accounts for all members of the family.
69. Set a standard of what games your child can play. Games should not be too addictive or contain adult content in them.
70. Occasionally see the viewing history of the content. Viewing history should not be cleared by the child and must be monitored by the parent.
71. Deactivate if you feel like the video search option. It is better to stay off of videos in the early phase of browsing.
72. You can report a video that you feel should not be accessible. If a video is not given an adult tag when it should be, you should report it and provide active feedback.
73. You can also block credit card payments on your computer. It is better to keep your financial details away from the computer if the child is also using it.
74. Please note that even if your child has purchased anything on the net you can still get your money back. The option of a return or refund is available almost through all platforms and by all modes of payment.
75. You can also add parental control apps online and install them. There are several parental control apps available online. Pick one that is best for your child.
76. Ask your child the precautions enlisted on safekids.com. safekids.com is a very useful website for children to keep them safe on the internet.
77. Minimize pop up ads on your child’s computer. Pop up ads are often very inappropriate and irritating; installing an ad blocker is the best option.
78. Posting too much private data on the net should be avoided. The posts that the child makes on the internet should be permitted by you.
79. Ensure to add your child as a friend on social media. Make sure you are friends with your child on all the social media platforms that he uses to keep track of their activities from your end.
80. Avoid leaving digital footprints. It is best to not leave any footprints behind when done browsing.
81. Be proactive in your approach. Be very open-minded in your approach when you teach your kid about the internet.
82. Be careful of sexual predators. There are a lot of toxic people on the internet. Warn your kid.
83. Try to know from your child what exactly the school curriculum is doing. You should be well aware of the events in school.
84. Know the acronyms and codes. Keep yourself updated with the internet lingo.
85. Try to gauge your child psychologically. Look at the whole situation from a child’s perspective to get a better grip.
86. Talk to other parents in school and the teachers.
87. Encourage online manners to your child. Ask your child to be well behaved online.
88. Tell them to trust their judgment. They should be able to tell wrong from right.
89. Please tell your child everything they do online is permanent. It is not a joke or a matter of fun whatever they do online but it is all real.
90. Never let your child use any net-connected device before you know its operations
91. Tell your child that any offense has bad consequences. No crime goes unpunished, even if it is online.
92. Attend cyber safety awareness talks. Be informed about the developments and policies coming into effect.
93. Refrain your child from posting his / her photo on common sites. Try to be as private as possible.
94. Encourage the child to go out and play in the parks. Physical fitness is just as important and should be encouraged.
95. Take your child out on weekends. Don’t allow the kid to lose the essence of childhood on the internet.
96. Oversharing must be avoided. Share only what is necessary and to people that you are sure about.
97. Explain to your child influencers and sponsorships. The child should have an idea about the business of influencers and sponsors.
98. Ensure that your child does not download malware or fall for scams. Installing an antivirus or even the firewall protects you from malware.
99. Ensure that your kid doesn’t become tech addicted. Be savvy, not an addict.
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Mother of Two children. I’m a former teacher with a background in child development and a passion for Good parenting. I understand child development and know how to develop activities to help children learn and grow. Spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, and volunteering in my community.
