5 Ways to Protect Your Kids Online During Lockdown

If you have children, you probably want to be in control of their online activities. The Internet is like a big city that lacks an adequate police force. It's there that you intervene.

Many families are spending a lot of time at home, and even more recently, due to social distancing and containment measures related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Spending more time at home often means spending more time online. Children can spend time on the Internet for lessons, homework, keeping in touch with friends, having fun, and playing video games.

But not all online activity is suitable for children and adolescents. What can you do? There are a number of ways you can monitor your children's online time and activities. You can set rules and check with your children that they are committed to following them. You may also want to consider using a parental control app to help you manage some of these tasks.

If you're worried about what your kids may be exposed to online, here are some ways you can help them navigate the Internet safely.

1. Schedule Screen time Limits For Kids On Devices.

You may feel like your kids are spending the day navigating between screens, from smartphone to tablet or laptop to TV.

You can consider limiting the number of hours per day and per week that your children are allowed to use the devices and define the types of devices they can use the types of activities they can perform on them, or the types of programs they can watch.

Chat with your children to help them improve their understanding of the media and regulate themselves. It's also a good way to find out what they like to do on the Internet and suggest new TV shows or apps they could try. You can even have a regular family home evening without a screen.

2. Monitor What Your Kids are Doing on the Internet.

You can choose to let your kids have their own email addresses and social media accounts and use the internet unattended. If so, we recommend that you keep an eye on their activities.

Tell your children that you are going to monitor their devices and explain to them why. Explain to them that it is not a question of spying on them, but of ensuring their safety.

It can be helpful to know who they are communicating with and what they are downloading, searching for, and watching. This could facilitate communication and allow you to engage in conversation with your children.

For example, they might have a problem but not know how to bring it up with you. They may also be unaware that they have encountered something dangerous on the Internet.

If they come across inappropriate content or behavior online, you can talk to them about safety and explain how to respond. Once your children have a better understanding of how to use the Internet safely, you may want to consider monitoring them less frequently.

3. Define rules regarding the use of social networks.

For teens, social media can be both positive and negative. On the one hand, they can help strengthen their relationships. But on the other hand, it can also distract them from relationships with those around them, and even lower their self-confidence or expose them to cyberstalking.

The effects of social media vary widely. It can be beneficial to collaborate on a group project via a video conferencing app or to connect with new friends via social media. Talk to your kids about good habits to adopt when using social media and give them tips on how to use their devices the best they can.

Encourage them to pay attention to their feelings before, during, and after using social media. Discuss what makes them feel good or bad. You can help them troubleshoot issues, set limits on their use of social media, and use privacy features and content filters.

But still? You can set an example for them by not spending too much time on your own smartphone.

4. Stay Current With Information Shared Online.

Often, information is used as currency on the Internet. They can be redeemed for services when you browse the Internet, download an app, or sign up for a new online service. What's the risk? Children may unintentionally reveal too much personal information if they don't understand how that information is being shared.

Learn about the websites your kid's visit, the social networks they use, and the apps they download. Read user reviews. Check the site terms and conditions to find out what type of information the platforms track and store.

You can also download the apps, browse them, and add your children to your “friends”. This way you can occasionally check out what your kids are sharing publicly online.

5. Limit Access to Websites.

It only takes one typo or one click on the wrong link to land on an inappropriate website. Depending on the age and maturity of your children, you may set restrictions for certain types of websites and downloads Free Antivirus Install to protect your kids Pc that you consider inappropriate. Continue to teach your children how to assess the reliability of websites.

In short :

Checking out what your kids are doing online takes effort. Still, it's worth taking steps to monitor who they communicate with, what sites they visit, and what they consume, and download.

We also recommend that you chat with your children about good citizenship online and ask them if they still accept the house rules. The goal is to keep your kids safe on the Internet while helping them build good online habits.

Whether you spend more time with your children at home, either by choice or by necessity, you will be glad you took the time to guide them in their use of the Internet.