Giving children uninhibited access to the internet can put your child, computer, and personal data at risk. With some precautions, you can set your children up to become upstanding digital citizens who will lead the future.
Parental Controls
Most devices these days have parental controls that allow parents to restrict access to certain content for their children. Generally, there are four categories of parental controls:
- Content filters
- Limits access to age-appropriate content
- Usage controls
- Putting time limits or forbidding certain types of usage
- Computer usage management tools
- Enforces what software is on the device
- Monitoring
- Tracking location and activity on the device
Here are links to guides on parental controls for popular devices:
- Use parental controls on your child’s iPhone and iPad – Apple Support
- Microsoft Family Safety | Microsoft 365
- Nintendo Switch Parental Controls | Nintendo Switch Support | Nintendo
Remain Positively Engaged
Children are clever and can find ways to get around parental controls, and the home computer isn’t the only place they can go online. Better to teach your children good internet behavior wherever they access computers.
Explain to your children the public nature of the internet and its risks and benefits. Be sure
they know that any info they share, such as emails, photos or videos, can easily
be copied and pasted elsewhere. It is almost impossible to take back what has been posted. Remind your children that some communication, like social media posts or photos, could
damage their reputation, friendship, or future job prospects.
Encourage your children to be good “digital friends” by respecting personal information
of friends and family and not sharing anything embarrassing or hurtful online about others.
Empower Your Children to Handle Issues
Your children may face situations like cyberbullying, unwanted contact, or hurtful
comments online. Work with them on strategies for when problems arise. Strategies can
include immediately talking to a trusted adult, refusing to retaliate, blocking the person, or filing a complaint. Agree on steps to take if the strategy fails. Having a plan ahead of time, instead of reacting to cyberbullying after it happens, can make an incident less overwhelming.
Cybersecurity Learning Game for All Ages
KnowBe4, a security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, launched a no-cost game on Roblox. It’s aimed to educate young people about cyber threats and cybersecurity best practices. For more information on the game check out their press release or visit the game’s page directly.