It is a very digital world we live in. From working to even shopping has become tied to the World Wide Web. And it is good – convenient, fast, and saves time.
But I am of the view that everything has two aspects: positive and negative.
And in our case, the internet can be helpful and harmful, depending on how we use it, especially for teenagers. They are full of energy, exploring new things, and making their way in life. However, as a parent, you should make sure that their digital world is as positive as possible.
According to statistics published by the Pew Research Center, about 46% of teenagers have faced some sort of online harassment. These can be very disturbing and can lead to mental health problems. If it isn’t some sort of harassment, negative content can cause them severe harm, addiction, and mental health issues.
And no one wants that for their child. But where do you even start? What are the steps that you can take to keep your child safe? I have compiled a list of steps that can keep your child safe from this negative digital world.
If you want to know about them, read on to find out.
Have a Conversation About Safe Online Practices
This is the most important step in keeping your child safe. Why is it important?
Today, we are so engaged in our lives that we don’t even talk to our children. We have to understand what’s going on in their lives, what they are learning, and most importantly, how they use the internet. I know it can be a hard step, and the kids, especially teenagers, might think that we are judging them, but just be casual about that.
Talk to them like they’re a friend, and they will start to open up. Now, stay focused on the conversation and pick up if something bad comes up in their words.
They might not share everything with you in the first conversation, but that is okay. You just need to keep communicating. Tell them how your life is going, what happened the last time you took your dog for a walk, or something funny.
The point here is that you need to lose the communication barrier and open up the conversations. That way, they can open up with you, too, and you can guide them if they are doing something wrong.
Take Control of the Wi-Fi
Do this step discretely.
I wanted to restrict all explicit sites for my child when he was getting into his teenage years. I didn’t know how to do exactly that, so I reached out to Xfinity Servicio al Cliente en español, which is basically the bilingual customer support team of my reliable Xfinity Internet.
They guided me on how to block certain websites just from my router, and I did exactly that. Now, I am sure that they can’t access harmful websites while they are home.
You can watch this YouTube video to block such content via your router.
On top of that, you should guide them on how public Wi-Fi is not safe. I know that public Wi-Fi is convenient, but again, everything in this world has two aspects. The negative aspect of public hotspots is that anyone on the network can potentially access your information that is going to and from your device.
In simple words, it is easy to hack.
So, guide your teens to avoid the public Wi-Fi in the first place, and if they must use it to call an Uber, only do it while they are connected via a VPN. It can make things difficult for hackers and potentially save your teen from a lot of trouble in the long run.
Install Antivirus Software on Their Laptop
They might have already pre-installed it on their laptop, but it is good to have a second look at it.
Antivirus software can actually protect the devices from many online viruses, malware, and eventually, trouble. The most reliable antivirus software I have found is McAfee, Bitdefender, Avast, and Norton.
They will most likely have McAfee installed, which is fine, but I suggest going with Avast. It is a better and more well-rounded option when it comes to antivirus software. If you want to crank security up a notch, I suggest going with the paid version of Avast antivirus software.
Also, it has a mobile version as well. If they are using an Android phone, I suggest downloading the software on their mobile phone as well because Android phones are generally not considered very safe.
Encourage Them for Non-Digital Activities
Last but not least, if you want your children to have a balanced life, ask them to go out in the great outdoors. It is one of the best ways to keep your children healthy.
This comes in handy when you have to manage their screen time.
They might binge-watch a whole season at night, but that is not good for them. So, encourage them to take part in activities that can keep them away from the screens.
