Keeping Your Children Safe Online
When you were a kid, you probably had one computer and were allotted a certain time only to surf the web, half the time spent on the dial-up connection. Nowadays, the Internet is easy to access. Many children have more ways to access the Internet as well. Tablets, phones, and everything in-between can deliver the Internet experience.
Because of this, parents find it hard to make sure their kids aren’t accessing sites they aren’t supposed to. Meet PhoneSheriff, the new way to monitor different devices. If your child owns a phone, the software will monitor every activity they do, all while being discreet so that your child doesn’t realize you’re watching their digital footprint. It provides you with a list of downloads, browsing history, and how long a child spent on a particular site.
With that said, you shouldn’t monitor your children without informing them about safe Internet usage. It’s unfair for them to be punished because they did something they didn’t know was wrong. Here are the basic rules of Internet safety.
Be Skeptical About Strangers
The Internet is an easy way to meet new people, but as we all know, not everyone has good intentions. Sexual predators, scammers, and liars lurk online. No matter what their age, it’s important to teach children to be wary about talking to people they don’t know. Teach your children to be skeptical of anonymous people online and tell them to avoid them as much as possible. Check out a person before your child talks to them. Be honest about what those strangers could do to them. Teach Your Children Not to Hide Things
Tell your children that the world isn’t always happy, and that something bad can happen at any given time. Your children should be taught not to be afraid to tell you if someone bad happens to them, such as a negative experience on the Web. Some children may hide it because they fear punishment, and that just makes things worse.
Don’t scare them with boogeyman stories about how everyone is evil, but point out that these things can happen, and that the child should tell them if something happens. This can help them to open up if something bad happens. Keeping your children aware about these issues is a smart idea, and allows you to make sure that someone else isn’t informing them.
Children Should Only Share Their Password With Their Parents
Teach them that they should not share their passwords with friends. Point out that friends can log into their accounts and cause mischief either as a prank or to get back at them in case of a falling out. You should not give them an account unless you know their passwords. Teach them the importance of password security and why you’re there to make sure their accounts are safe. PhoneSheriff can assure that they don’t change their passwords as well.
Of course, don’t demonize their friends, especially if you know them. A good way to teach them not to share their password would to point out that friends have a hard time keeping secrets and may tell someone not out of malice.
Tell Your Children That All Sites Aren’t for Children
Some sites may contain content your children don’t need to see and may not even allow children on there in the first place. Be honest with your children when you explain why these sites aren’t suitable for them. The PhoneSheriff can help you out with this because you can see what sites they visit and what apps they download.
If they’re on a dubious site, talk to them without any aggression if they didn’t know any better. Explain to them why that site’s not suitable for them and be logical about it. Point out examples of children suffering lifetime consequences because of visiting those sites. Be logical, but firm about your rules.
Teach Your Children About Moderation Through Time Limits
This is an obvious one. You should always set a time limit for your children being on their devices. The Internet can be addicting, and they may spend hours upon hours wasting their time online when they have more important things to do. If they’re on vacation, allow more time, but tell them that school comes first, no matter what.
The best way to avoid this problem would be to take the devices during their school and homework hours and them give them back when everything is finished.
Don’t Save Personal Documents on the Device
Personal documents includesautosaving usernames and passwords or taking pictures that reveal their locations. If they lose their device and it gets in the wrong hands, the thief can use that to cause damage.
With PhoneSheriff, it will let you see everything that’s been logged. So if someone’s messing with their phone, you can find out who.
Teach them by showing them examples of people having their lives ruined when someone accessed their device. Point out that phones are easy to lose, and if their login info is available, the person can ruin their profile. Teach them to refrain from even giving their phone to their friends, pointing out that things could get sour if they get in an argument.
Children Shouldn’t Give Personal Information
No matter how old you are, it’s important to know that you shouldn’t give away personal details to an online stranger. If they don’t know them, giving out information such as name, number, address, and age are a bad idea. Point out how predators can use this information, and back it up with real evidence. If a stranger asks for information right away, ignore them. With PhoneSheriff, you can see what your kids are sharing, meaning that you can stop them from sharing sensitive info.
Teach Your Children to Download Apps and Games Appropriate for Them If your child’s five, they shouldn’t be downloading apps with swearing or games that are violent. Teach your children that these have a negative impact on their growing minds, and set up restrictions as to what they can download. Point out that if they break these restrictions, they can be punished. Of course, lay the ground rules beforehand.
“Because I said so” is no longer a good argument. As parents, you need to teach them why they can’t access everything on the Internet, and why they need to have rules set up so they can’t. With PhoneSheriff, you can do just that. You can monitor all their activities and then respond appropriately if they do something out of line.
These rules may seem a bit silly for some kids, but they’ll thank you for it later when they’re grown up with no consequences. Just be honest with your children and teach them safe Internet browsing, and everything should be fine.
