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In this rapidly evolving world of ours, internet safety for children has become a rising concern to parents all around the world.

The internet has many advantages, but

The Internet opens a world of possibilities for children by exposing them to an enormous ocean of knowledge and information. Despite the benefits of the Internet such as staying connected with loved ones through social networking sites, gaining knowledge and doing school work, taking learning to a whole new level, unfortunately, it also can make children more susceptible to online threats.

The virtual world is very different from the real one; here children have to face different types of challenges, overcome hurdles they have never seen or experienced before and in such a scenario they require the help and support of their parents the most.

Parents’ role in the times of Internet

In such a beneficial yet unsafe and risky environment, parents must be equipped with useful and adequate means to detect early on signs of their children being at risk. This will help them to minimize and prevent the chances of online exploiters, victimizing their children.

With Internet connectivity and availability in almost every home, proper parenting becomes essential for the online safety of children. In an attempt to hopefully lessen and eliminate such dangerous and sometimes life-threatening risks, parents must carefully and rigorously study children’s and offenders’ behaviours as well as different types of risks facing their offspring on the Internet.

Parents are protective and worried by nature; therefore, they try their best to minimize harm and threats by monitoring and managing their children’s online behaviours, especially social media.

Too much control also fails

In order for parents to succeed in their great intentions to protect their children, they need to have a step by step, clear, complete, and easy to follow guide.

Parents also must educate themselves on new technologies and trends and do not overlook any suspicious behaviours they notice.

Many surveys suggest in their findings, the better-educated parents, closer and open relationship between parents and children, more active involvement in children’s online activities, establishing close friendship with their children, and more discussions of the online experiences are factors which are associated with more satisfactory results in directing and influencing children’s behaviour online.

Suggestions to parents

It is important to know that children often don’t tend to go to their parents when something bad happens online.

That’s because they think parents won’t understand, will take away their phone or computer, or will intervene but only make things worse.

It is really hard to keep kids safe when they’re not letting you into their digital life.

So, the most important thing a parent can do to help keep their children safe online is to have an on-going conversation with them about technology.

Basically, parents should try to be easier to be approached by their little ones.

Here are some easy bullet points:

• Have children teach you how to do something. Ask them what’s the coolest thing about the latest app.
• Play an online game with them; show that you are interested in technology and how they use it. This creates an image in their minds that you understand the important role technology and the internet play in their lives hence making you more approachable for online issues.
• Apart from this parents should give their children basic information on activities they should and should not do while on the internet like
  • not to click on suspicious links,
  • not to disclose personal information on unknown websites,
  • introducing them to age-appropriate material.

These small activities and engagements can cause revolutionary changes in your children’s lives and together we can make the internet a safer and much better place.

I would like to re-emphasise that Parents can and should play a deep role in the Internet Safety of children.

Thank You!

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