Each of us uses the Internet every day, which hides a lot of information, games, chats, social networks, etc. While the Internet harbors a wealth of knowledge and opportunity, there are also threats lurking. Online scammers often target the youngest children, so how can you protect your children from online threats?
When children use the Internet to connect with friends, family, or others, most parents see no problem with it, and adults often view it as a harmless activity. A growing number of children also use smartphones, tablets or other devices with constant Internet access. All of these people want to learn about new technologies and trends, but parents should warn them of the many risks.
Every parent should have a conversation with their child about what is acceptable and what is absolutely forbidden before their child starts going online. The virtual world can be very dangerous, so it's important to have an honest conversation. Children need to understand that they should not reveal personal information about themselves or their family to anyone or anywhere. This includes names, addresses, phone numbers or any other information. When creating accounts on various portals, access passwords are also well kept, consisting of a complex string of letters, characters, upper and lower case letters.
New technologies play a huge role in our lives today. Children get used to the benefits of the 21st century faster than adults, so it's every parent's responsibility to help their children understand that these tools are more than just toys. Young people use their phones or tablets mainly for entertainment and can easily lose their guard.
When it comes to the importance of mobile devices, one must also be wary of making new friends over the internet. Especially people you meet on social networking sites can be completely different people than you actually are. Scammers often take advantage of young users online, often unaware that they are hurting themselves and others by sharing private information with strangers.
It's not enough to just talk to your kids about online dangers, it's important to control the apps and web portals your teens use.
Installing or updating a new system usually comes with security updates. In general, older versions may not be secure in terms of security, so you should constantly monitor the settings of your device such as your phone or tablet for available updates.
Kids love to have games and programs installed on their devices. Cyber crooks know this too and often take advantage of it. Children should be taught that they should only download trusted apps available in official stores such as Google Play or the Apple App Store. Applications of unknown origin may hide viruses, or may access our contacts or SMS messages after installation.
When it comes to online time, teens can lose track of time. It's up to the parents when a child can sit in front of a computer or have a smartphone in hand and when they can't. Parents should introduce certain restrictions to prevent children from wasting a whole day in the virtual world, as well as due to checking status on social networks.
Unfortunately, cyberbullying or harassment is very common and it mainly affects young people. That's why parents must be aware of any issues that might worry them. While in most cases the abuser is someone the child knows, there are also times when the abuser is a stranger. Online harassment has become very common and dangerous. There are many incidents of teenage suicide or attempted suicide.
How is online harassment different from traditional harassment? Harassment is dangerous, and it doesn't matter if it happens in the virtual or real world. However, when everything moves online, the feelings of anger, humiliation, and sadness are greater because information travels faster online and more people learn about it.
Another major difference between normal bullying and online bullying is that everything can be done anonymously and from any distance. Children may not even know who their molester is, as it can literally be anyone of any age or location. When kids use social networking sites or even play games online, they can be attacked by absolutely anyone.
There are many threats from the web, some of which can be very dangerous. Children are often unaware of this and are therefore the most vulnerable. While it can be difficult to protect yourself from every cyber attack, by following the above advice, you can minimize the threat. This is especially important for the youngest users, who are easy targets due to ignorance.
When it comes to kids' smartphone addiction and kids' no-phone phobias, it all depends on the parents. Outside of school, it's the parents' responsibility to provide fun activities for their kids so they don't end up sitting on the couch with their phones all day. Also, special smartphones and monitoring apps can help. With the help of tools such as the spy phone program CellSpy, parents can monitor their teen's smartphone activities and thus ensure that he does not face suspicious online contacts, pornography, etc.
In Advanced Spy, there is an option to eavesdrop on conversations and the surroundings of your device. Cell phone monitoring apps allow you to locate a cell phone, and with just one text message command, we'll receive a link to a map with your child's marked location. Therefore, parents can check whether their children are playing with their mobile phones during school hours. This knowledge will allow you to control and limit the amount of time your teen uses a smartphone.
