Keeping Your Kids Safe Online Starts With This…
By Movieguide® Contributor
Social media, YouTube and streaming services put children at ever increasing risk, so how can parents take the necessary precautions to keep their kids safe online?
“I think parents need to just kind of give themselves a hug, breathe and start over,” digital parenting coach Elizabeth Milovidov encouraged. “Parents are incredibly busy. They’re overwhelmed. And then this whole idea of trying to lock things down is not easy. I remember trying to learn how to program a VCR.”
Keeping kids safe online is complicated, and Luke Savage, a senior project officer at NSPCC Child Safety Online, said there’s no “sugar-coating” it when it comes to the difficulties of monitoring your child’s screen time.
“There are so many different elements that it is complicated and laborious,” he added. “From the wifi router in the home to the device in a child’s hand, the computer console they’re playing on, and the apps or games themselves — each one has individual settings and controls.”
By now, many parents are familiar with the various settings they can put in place on apps and devices. But even with those tools, Savage says parents can’t “put their feet up and think: my work here is done. There are limitations to parental controls. They’re not perfect — children can bypass them if they’re clever enough.”
So what should parents do? Along with those tools, they should have honest “conversation and communication” with their children about their screen use.
Milovidov advises parents start “talking about the internet early.”
“It’s not about controlling our children, and it’s not about fear,” she explained. “It is about empowering them to make smart decisions, and we do that when they are at a very young age. We are trying to teach them how to behave when we are not in the room when we are not looking over their shoulder — that’s what digital guardianship is.”
Getting to know parental settings on a platform and putting them in place before introducing them to your child is key. Once you’ve given your child access to an app or other platform, check on those settings regularly, as kids can often find a way around them. If they do break your rules, Milovidov advises issuing consequences but also asking them why they decided to do that. Involve you child in the process, explaining to them why you’ve put certain limitations in place.
READ MORE: YOUR GUIDE TO YOUTUBE TV (AND HOW TO SET UP PARENTAL CONTROLS)
Parents can also limit what their kids have access to by adjusting their wifi router settings. This will allow you to filter out inappropriate content, set time limits and monitor a child’s online activity, UMA Technology said.
Families can work together to find alternative activities outside of screen time, and parents should lead the charge by being good role models.
“Leading by example is paramount,” Child Psychiatry Today encouraged parents. “When we consciously limit our own screen time and engage in activities that foster physical, mental, and emotional well-being, our children are more likely to emulate these positive behaviors. By cultivating a mindful approach to screen use and prioritizing quality family time, we can nurture a healthy relationship with technology and create lasting connections with our loved ones.”
READ MORE: HOW TO SET SCREEN TIME LIMITS FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN
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