Internet Safety Tips for Kids in Coronavirus Lockdown

The government has been keeping us all in the self-quarantine post the announcement of nationwide lockdown. And when these kids are locked inside homes, with no outdoor games to play, it is obvious that the children would switch to mobile devices to spend more time over the internet.

We are all living in a digital world. Unlike the earlier times, it is difficult nowadays to keep children away from smartphones, laptops, computers, tablets and smart TV’s for long, because the world is growing rapidly and so are your kids. 

The Internet is flooded with knowledge and there is a lot that the kids can learn with all the information online, but it is necessary that the kids become aware of the disadvantages and harms of the Internet, first of all. It’s natural they can fall into any trap, not that they could be abducted, but it still increases the risk.

It is the duty of the parents to make sure about the safety of their children when they are sitting online by talking to their kids about digital dangers and sharing with them some internet safety tips.

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In a recent video shared by Cyberdost, which is the official awareness handle of cybersecurity and cyber safety, and is maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India, we saw a number of internet safety tips for the parents and their kids to keep themselves safe and sound. 

Have a look at, how as a parent, you can keep your kids safe on the internet with these internet safety tips.

1. Talk to your kids about the safety issues they can face online Be open about the risks online, because the more you talk to them about the dangers, the more they will become aware and prepare themselves against any threats online. It will enhance their critical thinking and their ability to make the right decisions at the right time. 
2. Sit with your kids online, not all the time, but whenever you get time, you should. This will help you understand what your kids are doing on the internet and what all they wish to learn from it. There is no harm to monitor and keep an eye on what they are surfing.
3. Use parental controls and filters. All the web browsers have access to parental controls which, when enabled, can allow you to restrict specific searches, apps, websites for your child to view that might seem dangerous to you. The parents can even filter out any type of offending content with these controls. This also allows the parents to set the screen time to prevent overuse. 
4. Refrain from letting the kids browse alone. The setup for browsing the internet ought to be established in shared spaces like a common room, maybe a living room instead of their personal bedrooms. This can make it easier for the parents to keep a constant check on what their children are surfing and make moves accordingly because what gets measured gets managed easily. 
5. Beware before sharing any personal information. The kids are at risk when they are new to the world of the internet. The parents should teach their children not to share any personal information online about themselves or their parents like address, mobile numbers, email addresses, payment details or even personal images. The kids should avoid exchanging any information online without the permission of their parents. 
6. Enabling privacy settings. The kids are prone to all the social media networks when they are online. That’s why it becomes necessary to teach them how to enable privacy settings on their Facebook, Instagram accounts, to prevent them from interacting with strangers, reducing the risk of danger. The kids should also know about topics like cybercrime and cyberbullying.
7. Ignore strangers while playing games. In a lot of multiplayer games online, children tend to connect with a lot of strangers and unknown people. The parents must encourage their kids or ignore such people and simply delete the requests from them to befriend them. 
8. Set a time limit for internet usage. Restrict the children from using mobiles and laptops for long-duration continuously. Using the internet should never cut down on their sleep, social interactions, physical routines and mental health. 
9. Avoid clicking on any pop-up ads. It is advisable not to click on any unwanted ads and commercials, which might result in malware because this increases the risk of stealing your personal information.

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Help your kids to navigate through the digital world smartly and assist them to enhance their critical thinking to become good and responsible citizens.