With instances of cybercrime, cyberbullying, and other negative aspects of online life constantly on the rise, many parents around the world are becoming increasingly concerned about the online safety of not only themselves but of their children too. Therefore, it’s hard to deny the reasons why parents should care about cybersecurity. After all, not taking the proper precautions can potentially cause a lot of problems within the family in one way or another. For that reason, it is important for parents to read up on essential information to prevent their loved ones from getting exposed to the plethora of online dangers out there. So, without any further ado, here are our top ten tips for parenting in the digital age.
Top Ten Tips for Parents in the Digital Age
Use Internet Monitoring Software
This might seem somewhat extreme, but if you monitor exactly what you children are doing online and how long they are spending on the internet, you will be able to ensure that they don’t view inappropriate material or spend too long online.
Limit Internet Usage
Relating to the last point, it’s always worthwhile limiting the amount of time your children spend online. It might be difficult for them at first, but they will soon realise that spending too much time online means they are missing out on many other things in life.
Wait to Give a Smartphone
Nowadays, children get their first phone far earlier than they used to. But, it’s worth delaying giving them one as long as possible so that they don’t become addicted to using a smartphone from an early age.
Get Ahead of the Game
Getting ahead of the game really is worth it when it comes to keeping your young ones safe online. After all, the earlier your children are made aware of online dangers, they will be able to identify any warning signs more easily in future.
Ban Smartphones
Smartphones have the potential to wreak havoc on personal relationships. This is because they can often cause people to lose touch with the world as they are constantly looking at a screen. By banning smartphones at social events and at the dinner table, you’ll be able to enjoy more quality time together without distractions getting in the way.
Ban Screens in the Bedroom
Young children and teenagers in the modern day are often addicted to using digital devices, and this can have a negative impact on their sleeping pattern. By removing distractions such as games consoles and smartphones in the bedroom, your young ones will be far more likely to get higher quality sleep and wake up feeling far more refreshed.
Keep Up to Date with Trends
You should always try your absolute best to keep up to date with all the latest trends in the digital age. After all, there are an ever-increasing amount of online dangers hitting the headlines. So, it always pays to do your research to ensure that your children are protected against the latest threats.
Use Safe Passwords
Using the same password for many different sites could potentially lead to multiple accounts being hacked by cybercriminals. A password manager makes the task of creating and storing passwords an absolute breeze, and there will only be one master password to remember! So, it’s well worth using one in the digital age.
Educate on Online Dangers
Making your children aware of online dangers should be high up on your priority list as a parent. After all, it means that you’ll be able to make them fully aware of such things as cyberbullying and sexting which are increasingly becoming an issue in the modern world. You should always encourage your children to report anything potentially harmful as soon as possible – before it’s too late.
Use a VPN
Last but not least, we have the VPN – it’s the perfect way to achieve safe and anonymous browsing online, as using one allows you to hide your IP address and helps to prevent your personal information getting into the wrong hands. So, it’s pretty much a no brainer to use one nowadays.
Final Thoughts
In an age where online safety and security has taken centre stage, you’ll need to do everything in your power to ensure that both you and your young ones can use the web safely and appropriately.
But, it’s not just cybersecurity that you should be concerned about, it’s also the fact that your children could end up accessing inappropriate material if you don’t take the necessary precautions, or perhaps have their personal relationships suffer as a result of internet addition.
Either way, if you follow the tips outlined in this article, you can be rest assured that both you and your children will be in a much better position in your quest to achieve optimal online security and safety in the digital age.
