Believe it or not, the world is no longer a safe haven for our children.

With the rise in abduction cases in different parts of the world, parents have become more concerned with their children’s safety. They would think twice before sending their children out on their own. While we may believe that our children are not safe on the roads as someone could easily come and lure them into their cars to take them away, let’s not forgo the dangers of the online world.

Children may not be safe on the streets outside their home or school, but they are also not protected from the online threats. They are not safe even within the confines of their home. In the digital age we’re living, cybercrime has reached its peak, making cybercriminals pose a greater threat to children’s safety. Dangers also lurk on the internet just as they do in the real world outside the safe walls of your home. Various online threats like cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate and adult content on the internet, communication with pedophiles might leave your children vulnerable to much bigger problems like mental instability, sexual abuse, and exploitation.

Being a parent, it is your essential responsibility to whisk away your children from the dark side of the internet. While deploying parental control solutions on your children’s devices can assist in keeping your children safe on the internet, we have also put together a list of useful tips to ensure your child’s safety on the internet.  Let’s have a quick look at them.

Communicate with Them

As a parent, you need to openly communicate with your children about the internet and its usage. For instance, you could ask them: which new apps or games they have been playing recently? Which websites have they come across that has made them feel good? Was there any website that made them feel uncomfortable? How many friends they’ve added on Facebook? What are their online activities? By asking such questions, you would open a discussion with them which will help you understand their internet habits.

Set Some Boundaries

You shouldn’t hesitate to set some important rules and boundaries around the use of internet for your children especially if they’re quite young. You need to set a proper schedule for your children so they know they can only use the internet in limited time. Turn off the internet connection or switch off the modem when their time is out. Moreover, you can also guide them about the digital world the same way you would do in real life. Ask them not to talk to strangers or say things to someone online you wouldn’t say it otherwise.

Keep the Devices in Open Areas

Keeping your children’s devices – be it computers, laptops, tablets, or even mobile phones, out in the open areas will help you keep an eye on your children and observe their online activity closely. Never encourage your children to use their devices in their rooms or when alone. When your children are aware that you’ve kept an eye on them, they would never indulge themselves into doing an inappropriate task out of fear. 

Set Parental Control Solutions

One of the most productive way of keeping your children safe online is using parental controls. Make sure you know how to use the monitoring solutions or parental controls so you can track all the online activity of your children. Parental control apps are equipped with amazing features that also allows you to track your children’s messages, calls, location, and even their web browsing history. Make them understand why it is so important to set up parental controls in the digital age.  

Get Anti-Virus Program Installed

Since cybercriminals and hackers are always on the lookout for vulnerable devices, it is important to get an anti-virus software or app installed and activated on your children’s device. You can also enable a firewall to stay protected. Moreover, by turning on automatic updates, the security of your software remains updated.

Spread Awareness

Parents can spread awareness of the rising online threats and talk to their children about it. While informing them about the importance of technology in their lives, you should also make them aware of the perils of the digital world. Children should be aware of the online threats such as cyberbullying, pornography and other online violence. They not only need to know about these threats but also know how to fight against them.