Internet Safety for Kids – Tips for Parents to keep their Children Safe Online

The modern world is defined by technology. The internet plays a huge role in the modern technological landscape. Most people know that the internet is a useful medium for education, knowledge, information, news, and entertainment. However, the internet can be used to show the dark side of life. Cybersecurity companies, child protection organisations, educators, and the law enforcement community agree that misinformation and deception are rampant on the internet. Bad sites, bad information, bad people, and bad images are available online. If a person encounters any of these things it can harm their life. This is especially true for children.

Young children spend a lot of time online and parents must be aware of the dangerous things that they can encounter. Protecting your kids from online predators and bad information is very important. Here are some tips that will help you to keep your children safe while they use the internet. These tips will provide guidance and knowledge with the best online practises for safe use. By the way, the tips will be organised according to a child’s age range.

Safe Internet Tips for Children Aged 5 and Under…

Parents, you must monitor your child’s online activity if they’re 5 (or under) whilst they use the internet. If they’re at least 4 or 5 years old, you can teach them how to use their password and username. The main thing to remember is that you must keep a close eye on your little toddler to ensure no bad thing is coming across their screen.

You should always make their homepage a kid-friendly site, check all apps you download for them, and frequently go through their computer devices to safeguard them from any issue. Finally, make sure that grandparents, caregivers, and educators are on the same page with protecting your child online.

Safe Internet Tips for Kids Between the Ages of 6 to 9…

Children between the ages of 6 – 9 are very computer savvy. Internet users in this age range know about passwords, usernames, fun game sites, and they are aware of bad sites. Children between the ages of 6 – 9 are also aware of bad internet sites and practises. If not, they will quickly learn about them from friends or from another source.

Kids in this age range should not give out their personal information. Parents (caregivers, educators) will have to closely monitor their online activities. Kids between the ages of 6 – 9 are becoming more aware of the world. They can be quick to interact with new people and experiences. Just make sure that you are keeping a close eye on them.

Also, this age group tends to hide stuff, they can be sneaky, and they are smart enough to manipulate their internet usage. Make sure that you put on parental controls for payments. Children within this age range can quickly use a lot of money from a debit or credit card. They typically do not know how to control themselves when making online purchases.

Safe Internet Tips for Kids Between the Ages of 10 – 12

Children that fall between the ages of 10 – 12 can be sophisticated with their internet usage. Parents, you are strongly encouraged to use a software program to monitor a child’s online behaviour within this age range. Children that are between 10 – 12 know a lot about the world of the internet – and life. This means they might be tempted to check out sites that no child should visit.

They are also more prone to explore areas of the internet that are not good. They are curious or they’re simply drawn to some of the darker things that take place online. To help avoid this problem, monitor your kid’s online activity and hold them accountable. Encourage them not to visit places online if they can’t do it in front of you. Check their social media accounts and make sure you have a program that can monitor their online activity.

Safe Internet Use for Kids 13 and Up

Once a child turns 13 years old, they are extremely connected to the online world. They typically know the good and bad places on the internet. They also have social media accounts, they know about popular sites and apps, and they know the secret places to go online.

Mum’s and Dads, you’re going to need to watch your kid’s online behaviour. You don’t want to always observe their behavior. You must be consistent with checking on them. Kids that are 13 (and up) typically want to do things their way. Adults you will have to be adamant about making sure they’re not abusing or misusing their internet usage.

Mums and dads should also have their children’s passwords to devices. This is important because young teens can do things that are questionable online or with their phones. Whilst parents will not always know who their children are talking to online (or what they’re doing all the time) they should try to keep up with what’s going on with their social media presence. Teens tend to hide things from their parents.

Online teen users should not give out information. They should not use your credit card and information and they should always evaluate the information that they are receiving online. Parents should give their kids some trust with online use. However, if an older child abuses their online privileges; they should not be allowed to have full access to the net.

Other Considerations for Online Use by Minors

All adults with kids should make sure that they are keeping track of the latest tech trends. This is important. New tech could allow children and teens to access the internet in different ways. Mums and dads must tell kids that posting is permanent. Young people must be careful about what they post online.

Young people should be extremely careful about the people they meet on the internet. They should not get involved with people that they do not really know. Online friendships do happen. However, parents should monitor these relationships if they can. Finally, parents should find out how to track their children’s internet use in case something goes wrong. Having this knowledge will help authorities or parents to figure out what is going on if a problem happens. These tips are practical, and they do help to keep safe online.