As our children become savvier and savvier with tech in the digital world, maintaining a sense of security for their online presence is more important than ever. This article will discuss sites that can protect your kids and tips on how to be more vigilant.
Secure WPA on Your Router
WPA will keep your child from going online from an unprotected account or without permission. Because WPA uses a mobile device and not a computer, it will stop kids from evading online controls. More information about WPA is available from their website.
Admin Access Control
Your children should not have admin access. You should also ensure they have their own accounts on any devices at home and that the computer you use is password protected.
Windows Security
It’s easy to establish parental controls on Windows to monitor your kids’ activities and keep them from accessing unsuitable content. You can limit how much time they spend or restrict certain sites and apps. These measures are a good way to get started with online safety before purchasing monitoring software that might not work for you and your family.
It always pays off to be educated about social media. Some parents still think Facebook and Myspace are the only social networks. Children like different social media. The ones most popular with the Z generation are Snapchat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Reddit, and Tik Tok.
Update Privacy Settings
Be vigilant about privacy settings once your child has set up an account on one or more social media. Social networking sites are constantly upping security to ensure maximum protection, but it’s often the case that the user must update them manually.
Make sure their profile is private, and only their friends can see their profiles and what they share.
Most social networks offer this option. You need to take this important step to make sure their content cannot be accessed by ill-meant users.
Establish an Age Limit
Each social media site has a required minimum age for its users. For many of them, this age is at least 13. This is also in line with the provisions of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
At any rate, establishing guidelines or rules from the get-go is the best way to teach positive social media use habits. Just keep in mind that if they’re too strict, your child will make every effort to break them. The rules should empower him or her to make sound decisions independently.
Check What They Post
Don’t be afraid to snoop a little – after all, it’s your child’s safety we’re talking about. Children are not aware of boundaries like adults are (or at least should be) and are liable to post a video or picture that might jeopardize their character or safety. With so many social network users today, it’s very easy to take even the most innocent video or image out of context.
Your child may have posted something with the best intentions, but the wrong message can have dire and long-term consequences when everyone is online. Talk to your child about what content they share and make sure they know why they should only post content that presents themselves and other people in a good way.
Make sure they’re not sharing check-ins, addresses, phone numbers, or other personal details. Given how ingrained social media has become in daily life, people will often overshare. Your child should understand what information about themselves to share and what to withhold.
Watch for Suspicious Friend Requests
Your child should never accept a friend request from someone they’ve never met or even someone they have met but don’t know that well. It’s quite common for people to use social networks to steal information with ulterior motives or to stalk them. This is why it’s best to accept only requests from family, friends, and other people your child knows.
Keep an Open Mind – and an Open Dialogue
Obviously, it’s not possible to monitor their social media feed and activities around the clock. Keeping an open dialogue is critical in terms of understanding what’s going on with them on the internet.
Don’t assume the worst, but don’t neglect safety. Take the middle route and ask them to tell you if they get invites or messages from strangers. Communicate about the ramifications of misusing social media sites. Your children should tell you if someone is harassing or teasing them because cyberbullying has to be dealt with urgently.
