Top 10 Helpful Tips to Keep Your Child Safe Online

The Internet is a marvelous tool that has provided children with a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips, but it has also created an entirely new world of risks.
Children now have new ways to socialize online and parents can help reduce the risks associated with online activities by talking to their kids about making safe, responsible decisions. There are a variety of tools you can use to help restrict a child’s access to harmful material online, but the most important thing to do is talk to your child and develop a good relationship with them.

Here are some helpful tips to help keep your child safe when they’re browsing the online world:

1. You can block adult content by using the parental controls that are present on all devices such as phones, tablets, and PC web browsers.
2. Place your computer in a public area of your house rather than allowing your child to use the Internet privately in their room. This is one of the most important things you can do to prevent dangerous online interactions for your children.
3. Interact with your child online and ask them about their favorite websites to visit. Make browsing the Internet a family experience while at the same time learning about your child’s browsing habits.
4. Set realistic rules and time limits for your child’s Internet use. Be sure to enforce these rules and not let your child get into the habit of spending all night online.
5. Prohibit your child from using private chat rooms, especially if you are not present while they are online. Online predators seeking potential victims often use these chat rooms to form a relationship with children in order to lure them to a meeting place.
6. Never allow your child to arrange meetings with strangers that they have met online. This may seem obvious, but your child might convince you that they really trust the person because they have been chatting with them for an extended period of time.
7. Don’t allow your child to set up their own online social media accounts with their own passwords. As a parent, you can set up their accounts for them so that you know the passwords and can take corrective action if needed.
8. Educate your child on the dangers of giving out personal information online such as their phone number and home address. Make them aware that even giving out information like their school’s name can lead to a potentially dangerous situation.
9. Learn about computers and the most common social media websites that your child is likely to use. As a parent, you’ll need to learn how to navigate the Internet effectively in order to know how your child is going to be using it.
10. Make a contract with your child regarding their Internet use. This could involve an agreement to only use the Internet during certain hours, not entering into private chat rooms and never giving out personal information.

By following these simple steps you can help protect your child online and prevent them from engaging in dangerous activities. As a parent, the more you know about the risks of extensive Internet use, the better equipped you’ll be to stop a potentially harmful situation from occurring.