Is The Internet A Safe Place For Kids

For kids who are supervised by their parents when they use the internet, the threat is greatly minimized; for kids who have the freedom to do all they want without any adult supervision and advice from parents, it's a very different story.

Threats can come from different sources. It may come from malicious sites with malicious contents or from strangers your kids meet online. Consequences vary from computer viruses and spyware to a more serious psychological, mental, and physical abuse they may get from unknown people.

To protect your kids and prevent these things from happening, it is recommended to set general rules that should be followed while your kids use the Internet. Teach your kid not to give out personal information to other people, agree to meet with someone for the first time, or send pictures or personal videos. Responding to unknown emails and messages should be also be discussed and restricted. Computer time should be defined as well. The location of the computer should be in a busy area of your house.

Smaller kids should not be allowed to use the computer alone. It is also advised to give them a kid-friendly browser so that you can limit access to unwanted sites.

Teach your children to be open to you, especially if they come across any information that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Teach your kids to be honest, and supervise your kids so that they do not end up encountering people and Internet data with malicious content.