Keeping your children safe whilst they surf the world wide web

Children as young as three years old are now internet maestros. With a swish of a finger, they have multiple apps open and are nose deep in one of the latest games. 

Our children are much more internet savvy than we were at their age, but this is not surprising, since as society has evolved, our dependency on the internet has also increased.

Rather than fight it, and risk our children being at a disadvantage, we need to control their usage. 

The internet can also lead to the introduction of unsavory characters and situations. We need to set rules and guidelines as to how children behave when online. 

Here are a few tips to keep your children safe whilst they are online:

1.    Always have child friendly securities on your device. So when your child does random searches, he/she will not accidentally come across unwanted images or even sites.

2.    Have a set of rules with the searches and the sites your children can enter. The older children will probably want to talk to their friends through the online chat services available. Educate them about that fact that just like there are strangers on the road, there are strangers online. They could pose as children of their own age and even have the same interest but turn out to be adults luring children. 

3.    Draw up a list of personal information, so your child knows what sort of information you would not want divulged over any sort of social groups.

4.    If your child is able to understand the concept, teach them about identity theft, and how to be vary about entering any sites that offers free offers. Some of these could contain viruses, which would have disastrous effects!

5.    Also limit the time spent on being online. Many of the older children will have to refer to the internet for projects or homework. Give them the time, but limit it. You could also use internet time as an incentive; for example, do all your homework and you get half an hour of internet time. 

Text by Mayuri Jayasinghe