The digital world is the new hub for 21st-century kids. And why not! Right since the toddler years, they get used to holding the smartphones or tablets to spend time watching their favorite animations or rhymes. By the time they grow up, they become so comfortable dwelling in the online space that they don’t even need any special training to work on computers, like how it used to be till a few decades back.
We, at DPS Sushant Lok, one among the leading CBSE schools in Gurgaon, strongly believe that today’s kids are indeed smart in that sense. But does that mean they can be left alone to explore the digital world all on their own? No! And that’s because of the threat of cyberbullying, which has emerged as a rising problem all across the world. Studies reveal that one in every ten adolescents in India faces the issue of cyberbullying, while almost half of the cases go unreported.
So what exactly is this cyberbullying, and how can you ensure keeping your children safe from the threat of the same? Let us have a look in this article below.
Cyberbullying: A Growing Problem
As the term itself explains, ‘Cyberbullying’ is a kind of bullying that happens in the cyberspace. It could include any kind of threatening, harassment, demeaning, or embarrassment that you may encounter in the digital world. The common type of cyberbullying occurs in the form of mean comments, online rumors, sensual or abusive remarks, and more. In short, cyberbullying is any activity that’s conducted in the online space to hurt the sentiments of others.
Social media platforms serve as the breeding ground of such bullying activities, where bullies try to naturalize violence or abuse on the basis of religion, caste, race, gender, or other such factors. Now since the majority of the population on social media comprises of young people between 12 to 29 years of age, children, particularly teenagers, become the most obvious victims of cyberbullying. And the main problem with cyberbullying is that it isn’t just harmless teasing, but rather it often puts its victims into a lot of mental, emotional, and psychological turmoil.
How to protect your kids from falling into the trap of cyberbullies?
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Make yourself familiar with how the social media works
At DPS Sushant Lok, a renowned CBSE school in Gurgaon, we believe that to help your kids stay protected in the online world, it is important that you, the parents, remain vigil about their internet use. And for that, it is crucial that you possess a keen understanding of how the common social media platforms and messaging apps work. No, we are not asking you to grow into a pro in media use but being a little tech-savvy will surely help you a lot.
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Let your children know the basic do’s and don’ts of the internet use
Explain to your kids what cyberbullying is and how cyberbullies target children to hurt them emotionally and mentally. Give them examples on your social media feed so that they understand it more clearly. Also, let them know what to do in case they ever encounter cyberbullying. Tell them never to share their personal information on social media, and if at all they find anything suspicious, they can come and talk to you as and when they want to.
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Keep an eye on your child’s internet usage
So you asked your child to come to you whenever he/she faces any form of cyberbullying. But your responsibility doesn’t end there! You have to still stay vigilant of your child’s activities on the internet. There have been cases where despite children and parents sharing a highly cordial relationship, the former fell into the trap of cyberbullies, and parents remained unaware of it. Hence, when it comes to the safety of your kids, there shouldn’t be any problem in being a little nosy. Knowing what your kids are doing online, who they are conversing with, what kind of conversations they are having with their friends, and more will help a lot in ensuring the children are safe.
We, at DPS Sushant Lok, believe that cyberbullying is indeed a challenging situation to tackle, and particularly so when the internet is such an inseparable part of our lifestyle. Besides, we can’t simply put a ban on the internet use of our kids because that could never be the solution. The best way out is to make the kids know that their happiness and well-being is far more important than likes or dislikes on social media. Let them know that no one in the world of the internet can judge or determine their worth. They are far more than a profile pic or a post and are unconditionally loved by you, no matter what.