How to teach your children to be safe in the digital space?
If you were told not to use any electronic gadgets for an entire day, it would definitely make you worry or perhaps even suffer from anxiety, right?
Well, that’s the influence that the digital space has over most of us!
We live in a digital world. Almost every activity in our daily life has some form of technology associated with it. Our dependence on tech has become even more prevalent during this pandemic time- with classes shifting online and many of us working from home.
For many parents, most technologies that we are using now never existed while they were kids- they started using them at a later stage in their lives. So, they might be unaware of its various aspects and possibilities. But, for our children, it’s a different story. They are born into a digital world, surrounded by gadgets and devices and the internet.
The world is only going to go forward at an even faster pace. With it, the threats and dangers lurking are also going to increase. So, as parents, what can you do to keep your children safe from the evils of the digital space?
Educate yourself
To speak about or even criticize something, you must know about it. So, let’s not be parents who deprive our children of things that might be important in their lives just because we don’t know about them and are blindly afraid of it. Instead, try to educate yourself about their possibilities, dangers, and how they can safely and responsibly use it.
Train your children from a young age on tech usage
It doesn’t mean giving your toddlers electronic gadgets. What you need to do can vary depending on your child. You can start by giving them devices that have limited functions, for a limited time. See how they use it and gradually give them more freedom.
Make them digitally resilient
There are many risks associated with the digital space. We must educate our children to be aware of them and act accordingly.
Protect their identity
Teach your children the importance of not putting too much personal information out there on the web. Try to make them understand the importance of maintaining their privacy.
Be wary of online scams
Make sure you and your children are up to date on what’s going on around you and adopt safe practices. Always make it a policy to double-check every detail before making any payments or transactions online. Also, don’t let your young children make payments or purchases without your supervision.
Cyberbullying
It is one of the major issues going around today. There are all sorts of people accessing the internet. In a digital world where everyone is constantly online, it is unavoidable that people are often targeted by bullies online. Children are the worst affected ones. So, make sure you talk to your children about it.
Ensure they know that it is okay for them to come to you if they face such an incident. If at all your child has been a victim of cyberbullying, talk to them and offer them the needed support and confidence. Also, make sure you report it to the proper authorities. Tell your children that it is not okay to bully people- be it online or offline. Teach them to be respectful.
Critical thinking
Teach your children to read critically – everything they see online. Tell them not to believe or follow everything they see or hear blindly. Instead, make them capable of thinking for themselves and looking for the truth themselves.
Responsible content creators
Like how they should not be blindly accepting everything online, they should also be taught not to post everything they want without considering all the facts. Sometimes, the things one posts not only impact their lives but other people’s as well. Teach them to think about the impact of every action they make in the digital space and act with reason and empathy. Make sure they understand the concept of permission. Teach them not to post people’s pictures and information without their permission.
Set limits
Make sure that your children don’t become addicted to their devices. For young children, set routines and schedules for digital usage. Once they grow up, give them more freedom according to how responsible they are.
Assign tech-free zones around the house. It can be a reading room, bedroom, dining room or any other room you prefer. Make it clear that no one is to use digital devices in that area at any time. Use the time spent there to do other activities or even spend some time bonding with family members.
Be a good role model
Children learn by watching their parents. So, if you tell them to follow all these practices and don’t follow them yourselves, they might not feel like it either. So be responsible adults and lead your children by example. Show them how you take breaks from your devices, spend time with your family and how you treat other people online. Your actions have more impact on your children than any words you might tell them.
Stay responsible. Stay Safe!
5 tips to keep your child safe on the internet!
Exam Smart Tips
Exam Smart Tip #1 – How to Encourage Our Kids to Speak Better?
Exam Smart Tip #2 – How to avoid carelessness?
Exam Smart Tip #3 – Establishing Routines!
Exam Smart Tip #4 – Let’s Read Carefully!
Exam Smart Tip #5 – Beating the Exam Fever!
Exam Smart Tip #6 – How to Eat Right for the Exams?
Exam Smart Tip #7 – How to Avoid a Meltdown?
Exam Smart Tip #8 – Taking Stress out of Tests
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