Technology has changed the way we live, work, play, study, and communicate with one another. However, along with the numerous benefits of the internet, it has also given rise to a lot of concerns, such as cyberbullying, hacking, and a lot more. As such, it becomes important that kids are taught about the hazards of the internet and how to protect themselves from numerous online threats right at an early age.
No denying, internet scams and hazardous events may happen to anybody, including adults. But, given that children as young as two can already use and operate phones, keeping your precious children safe on the internet is more crucial. Hence, it is crucial that you keep an eye on what your children view and hear on the internet. Moreover, it is also important to keep track of who they chat to and what personal information they reveal in the online arena.
So, in today’s article, we at Delhi Public School, Sushant Lok, one of the top CBSE schools in Gurgaon, would like to share some tips with you all that will help you ensure the safety of your children while they surf the internet.
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Personal information should never be shared
It is important to teach your children not to give out any of their personal information to anybody, especially strangers. This means kids should not reveal their last name, residence address, phone number, or other information without first obtaining permission from their parents.
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One should remain beware of pop-ups or signing-up for email newsletters
Teach your children never to click on any pop-ups or advertisements since this may lead to spyware or viruses getting downloaded onto the device. They might also be an internet fraud designed to get the user’s personal information. E-newsletters need too many personal details, and it is dangerous for minors to provide such information online. Hence, teach your kids to avoid opening questionable email attachments, pop-ups, advertising, or e-newsletters.
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Conduct a social media privacy check-up with them
We, at DPS Sushant Lok, understand that while you definitely can’t stop your child from creating a profile on a social networking platform, what you can do, though, is to sit with them and perform a personal check-up on the information they are letting out online. This will help shield them from incidences of hacking or potential breaches. Right from knowing who has access to their postings to who they are friends with or the personal information they reveal, this may be an excellent method for you to stay up to date on their online behavior.
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Don’t agree to let them meet their online friends
Teach your children that the internet enables its users to easily hide their identity. As such, it shouldn’t be a surprise if their online buddies do not turn out to be who they claim to be. It is thus very dangerous to let them physically meet their internet buddies. Keep watch on your children’s online friends and report any suspicious activity or people to your local cyber-crime unit.
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Make a time rule
Establish a time restriction for your children’s internet activity. No matter, if it is for instructional objectives or entertainment purposes, it is very important to set restrictions on the time that your kids spend online.
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Listen to them
The key is to become friends with them. Share your positive and negative personal experiences with them so that they do not keep anything from you. Ask them to brief you about the various Internet topics and begin conversing with them. This may be the simplest approach to learning what they are doing online or what is going on in their innocent brains.
Summing Up
We, at DPS Sushant Lok, one of the top CBSE schools in Gurgaon, firmly believe that though the digital world has emerged as a boon for the mankind, it is definitely crucial to ensure their cyber safety as well. Hence, do brief them out on the basic do’s and don’ts of working in the online arena. Ensure that they clearly know the boundaries that they shouldn’t cross while using the internet. We understand that children generally remain excited about going online to purchase things, utilize social media, view movies, conduct educational research, or for many other purposes. However, even the slightest of mistakes online may pose deadly implications. Hence, if you wish to rest assured that your kids benefit from the positive aspects of the internet while not getting affected by its negative aspects, make sure that you teach them about the basics of internet safety without fail.