
IMPORTANCE OF TALKING TO YOUR CHILD ABOUT INTERNET SAFETY
Written by Liza John
Ever since we were hit by the global pandemic, educators have taken to online media and platforms to impart schooling and education to children. Consequently, children have to be exposed to the Internet at a very early age and spend long hours in front of the screen.
While the internet is a functional tool for learning, staying connected and keeping bus it comes with its own pitfalls. Children who are unaware of these are more susceptible to the dangers. Parents play an important role in educating children about internet safety and imparting the necessary skills to help children navigate safely through the internet.
Why Does Internet Safety Matter?
As aforementioned, there are numerous dangers hidden on the internet, your child may not know about these and fall into the traps of some cyber-criminal or see things they are not supposed to like pornography, violence, or animal cruelty. Therefore, it is imperative that you educate your child about internet safety.
As a parent you are responsible for your child’s safety and this includes internet safety. Your child faces three major risks online:
- Content risk: Pornography, displays of violence, animal cruelty, substance abuse
- Contact risk: cybercriminals may often try to get information from your child by posing as someone else.
- Conduct risk: Your child may behave inappropriately and hurt someone.
Educating your child will help eliminate these risks and keep your child safe.
Kids are more than often confident that they know how to be safe online. When you try to talk to them about internet safety, they may not be very receptive to it as they might that you are being an overbearing parent. However, it is important that you discuss internet safety as kids may take certain actions without thinking of the consequences. Here are some tips to help you start talking to your child about internet safety.
Understand the Basics of Internet Safety
There is no point in trying to educate your child about internet safety if you yourself aren’t aware of these. Children are very curious and will ask a ton of questions so be sure to equip yourself accordingly. There are numerous pages on the internet that will help you get a firm grasp of internet safety.
Start Talking As Soon As Possible
It is possible that your child may be uncomfortable, irritated, or confused while talking to you about people they talk to online or what they do online. If you one day suddenly pop a conversation about their online activity this is quite natural. However, if you start early and talk regularly about what they do online, they might be more comfortable in sharing.
It is never too late to start talking, but ensure you keep the conversations friendly and not hostile or intimidating.
Setup Rules but Be Flexible
Maybe you want to set a limit on your child’s screen time. As your child grows, they may depend more on the internet or electronic media for their schoolwork. Fixing a specific number of hours per day will put your children in a fix and things may not work as you expect them to. Instead, if you let them use the screen for specific purposes, they may be more comfortable.
When you set up rules, ensure that you take suggestions from your child as well so that the rules you set will seem reasonable and achievable to them.
Communication Is Key
Be honest and open while sharing your thoughts as well as hearing their side. Talk regularly but casually about what they do online. Be supportive of what they do provided it’s not illegal. If you find out what they’ve done is inappropriate have a rational talk with them about why you think it is inappropriate.
Building trust between you and your child is key to keeping them safe. Having conversations backed by logic and reasoning will make your child feel that you trust them to be safe online. When they trust you, they are also more likely to open up about content that may worry them or other problems they face online.
Conclusion
From shopping to schooling, the internet has now become an integral part of our lives. And the possibilities of it being obsolete seems out of the question. Day by day our dependency on it only seems to increase, and hence it is important that we inculcate internet safety in our kids. The internet can be a dangerous place and if left unchecked it can wreak havoc in your child’s life. Stay informed, stay safe.