Online Safety For Kids

With screen media literally at our fingertips, it is more important than ever to ensure online safety and screen time limitations for our kids. More often than not, they may not even realize what they have ventured into by clicking that pop up ad or responding to that chat. Which is why it is up to us to monitor and ensure that they are as safe as possible. These tips can help you do just that.

Guidelines

Screen time and children are very controversial topics. But I feel safe in saying the amount of time spent on screen has definitely increased over the years. On average, children ages 8-12 spend 4-6 hours per day on screen time, and teens are upward of 9 hours (source). Being that the content they access can be anywhere from purely entertainment to being required for a research term paper, it is tough to set a “one size fits all” guideline. This is why is it so important to check in during their screen time and discuss what they are seeing and learning.

Be Their Media Mentor

Kids learn mostly by watching. So avoid keeping the tv on all the time, keep your phone checking to a minimum (especially when driving and family time) and avoid mature content when they are within earshot. Educate them on how to find reliable, clean content as so much of it can be misleading or simply inaccurate. Remember, us parents are their first teachers.

Always Research

Keep in mind that age does not equate their maturity level. So although some sites and video games are marked with an age rating, look over the site anyway to see what content your child will be exposed to. Flip the game over and read the back to get a preview of the graphics. Use online resources to see ratings of a game, before deciding whether it will negatively influence your child. Even after you’ve read all you can find to read, I still recommend sitting in on the first few runs. They may be still be exposed to violence or other obscenities that you deem inappropriate. However, you can intercept and use as a teaching moment to show them what is allowed and what’s not.

Parental Controls

These controls are available on almost every device. They allow you to place controls by ratings, time limits, restrict access to the internet and manage in-game purchases. There are three main levels of control. Network level controls are set at the router (or Hub), and apply settings to every device connected. Device level controls are set for that particular device only (your teens smartphone, for example). Application level controls apply to that particular app or platform. It is important to check the settings periodically and adjust as necessary.

Online Safety

Teaching our kids the basics of online safety, is a definite must! However, spending a few minutes to go into deeper details can result in a world of difference. Often times when chatting online (either social media or gaming), people want to get to know each other better. However, teach your kids what questions can be answered and when it’s best to block the other party. Teach them not to click pop ups or external links that may lead to downloads. And do not open any messages from people they do not trust. Modding is a popular term in the gaming word and very enticing with the promises of free money or new skins, but be very wary of these as some people are using them as a way to get information. It goes back to the old saying of “if it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is”.

Keep Mental And Physical Health In Check

As with any activities, moderation is key!. Nothing is good in excess. In saying this, if you notice your child is acting differently, seems excessively moody or otherwise not themselves, it may be time for a break. As with all child disrupts, I encourage you to delve a little deeper to ensure nothing too serious is going on. It may, in fact, simply be stimulus overload.

Take Away

Whether it be gaming, watching funny videos or reading up on the latest natural cleaning products, time spent online can be fun, safe and educational. However, it bears repeating, that it should be in moderation, include mandatory breaks and constant parental check ins. I hope you use these tips to help open the door to family discussions and learning opportunities as technology is definitely here to stay.

We’re all in this together, T

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