The internet can be fun and useful, but it is not without its dangers. Safe internet for children is a concern of every parent. Children often want to participate in internet traffic at a young age. That's no problem, because the net is a good and educational tool. Today, many homework assignments even require an internet connection.
But children also exchange information with each other via the internet and that it is safe is of great importance. Think, for example, of chatting via WhatsApp, watching videos and photos on Instagram or TikTok. As a parent you may think:'I'd rather not have that', but it can have a negative effect on the development of the child. In short, the child 'doesn't belong', because he or she does not know what is happening in the world around him. It is better to focus on responsible use of the internet .
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As a parent, you always think about possible dangers for your child. The dangers to children include inappropriate content, potential sexual abuse, cybercrime, being hacked, cyberbullying, spending too much time online and using children as a marketing machine for products. Safe internet is therefore important for your children for several reasons.
It is important as a parent to talk on these topics. For example, ask the questions :“What do you prefer to do on the Internet?” or “Do you also have friends online?” But you can also go into more depth:“Have you ever been offended online?” You show interest, without being judgmental.
Fortunately, parents can regulate internet use n. For example, consider parental controls. The software is on the computer, phone or tablet and helps to monitor online activities. You can even set how long the device can be used.
There are all kinds of tricks for this, such as limiting profiles on Android smartphones , the family options in Windows 10 and parental controls on MacOS † In addition, you can also set how long the screen can be on on iPhones and iPads. That already provides a bit of safety.
A danger that few parents consider, however, is the privacy of their child. As soon as we use the internet, we immediately leave traces. This also applies to our children and in principle makes the internet unsafe. Advertising companies want to know everything about us:what do we look for? What are we interested in? Who uses the computer, tablet or smartphone now? We also call it 'profiling'. In addition, this data offers hackers the chance to hack your child.
A solution to this is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). By using a VPN connection, you internet in a protected way. All data that is sent is encrypted. For example, hackers do not get a chance to intercept sensitive data and the internet is technically safe, also for our children. In addition, you temporarily get a different IP address, so that it is not clear where a visitor comes from.
VPNs can also be useful for children. After all, you want children to leave as few traces as possible online and to surf as protected as possible. Moreover, every internet user is also sensitive to malware and phishing, for example.
Malware is malicious software that can infect the computer. We sometimes call it 'a virus'. Sometimes personal data can be stolen, the computer is encrypted (ransomware) or all kinds of pop-ups appear. This topic is also important to discuss with your children in the context of safe internet!
Phishing involves 'fishing' (hence the name) for sensitive data. For example, your child may receive an email from someone claiming to provide a free game console. Your child then only has to click on the link. Such an email sometimes looks quite real and can be confusing. After all, we all know the well-known emails from 'fake' banks, right? In reality, personal data is requested or software is installed that keeps track of what is being done on a device. This way, cyber criminals can earn a lot of money.
Social media (or:social media) is becoming increasingly important in children's lives. For example, they have Facebook, Instagram or snapchat. This is how they communicate with boyfriends and girlfriends. It is good to talk about this as a parent:what can and cannot be shared? Even though photos and messages sometimes seem private; it is data that is kept forever. What you put on the internet never goes away. Consider, for example, the consequences of sexting.
Agree on what can be shared online and note the privacy settings of the social networks n. For example, you can indicate on Facebook that only friends of friends may send a friend request, or indicate that all messages on the profile must be secret. This makes it a bit safer for our children to use the internet.
Also note that apps sometimes just want to access photos or location † Don't just allow this, but think about its usefulness. With a photo app like Instagram, access to the photo album makes sense, but with many other apps it's useless and often provides more information than necessary.
On social media, visitors are often 'followed' in order to offer appropriate advertisements. Searches are monitored, for example, to show appropriate advertisements. By surfing the internet with a VPN , makes tracking more difficult. As a result, your child enjoys more privacy online. This way, he or she will not be tempted to make an online purchase, and advertisers know much less about your child.
What can your child do online? Only consult sources for homework, or also play games and use social media? How do you deal with this as a parent?
