TECH TIPS FOR ENSURING ONLINE SAFETY FOR CHILDREN

 

Technology has changed how a lot of things are done including communication, health, commerce, sports and parenting. As a parent, it is your in your interest to know what gadgets are available to help your child and the safety measure that should be considered to protect your child. There are quite a number of digital tools available online that can benefit your child.

It is not enough to know about trendy apps are for kids. It is important parents are also aware of the dangers and pitfalls that could befall their kids when proper measures are not taken to safeguard a child’s online activities. The Internet is beneficial to the intellectual growth of a child but it could also be a dark space for a child to operate. Therefore, parents should consider setting rules before letting their children roam free in the tech space. Below are a few rules parents can consider to ensure the safety of their child online.

AGE APPROPRIATENESS OF A MOBILE APP:  Every app or online platform has an age limit for users therefore, not all online platforms are age-appropriate for children.  There are many apps on play store and IOS designed solely for the benefits of children. The contents of these apps are deemed safe for the consumption of children and teens. They are educative, entertaining and informational for children of all ages. Examples of such apps are Youtube kids, Encarta kids, duolingo and Seekapor.com

MONITOR AND MENTOR YOUR CHILDREN ONLINE ACTIVITIES: Parents must also consider monitoring their children’s online activities.  Monitoring your child’s online activities will help parents know the type of online materials their child is consuming. Mentoring, on the other hand, helps you coach your child on healthy netiquette they can adopt to be safe on the internet.

TREAT ALL MEDIA LIKE YOU WILL TREAT ALL ENVIRONMENT:  Parents must audit all media contents before they put them on their child’s kiddle or tablet. Some media content can be harmful to the well being of a child. Auditing your child’s media content will help you know the ones that are harmful or beneficial to the wellbeing of your child. Parents can do this by visiting www.seekapor .com for articles and blogs on the tech space.

RESTRICT ACCESS TO HARMFUL APPS: Smart devices now come with settings that allow parents to restrict access on their child’s device.  Restricting access will limit the type of content your child could visit.  Children are becoming tech-savvy by the day and are knowledgeable about all mobile apps available online.

INSTITUTE SCREEN TIME: This the amount of time spent using a device. Parents must limit the amount of time their children spend on their device or on online. Don’t give them unfettered access to online platform without a time limit. For instance, you could assign a two hour screen time daily after school and three hours during the weekend. The safety of your child is your responsibility as a parent. Don’t take it lightly.