Why and How Parents Should Safeguard Their Kids’ Online Activities

These days the internet forms a huge part of our lives. Whether one needs to research for a project, buy products or simply kick back and relax, our laptops, tablets, smartphones and PCs are always there and often powered on.  However, there’s a darker site to the net and tech that needs to be addressed.

Hackers, data thieves and questionable content are all present within the neon-lined halls of the internet, and can pose a threat to both us and our children, the latter of which being most at risk. Imagine if your child came across a pornography site, was duped in to spending their pocket money (or your hard-earned cash) on in-app purchases, or was groomed by malicious individuals over chat rooms and social networking sites? It doesn’t bear to mention the effects of any of these, but there are ways we can minimize the risk to our children.

Now one might be imagining that the easiest and most direct way of stopping your children having access to online nasties is a simple “no, you shouldn’t go on these sites”, but this is only a stop-gap solution. Think back to your youth; when an adult simply told you not to do something, did you not just go ahead and do it anyway?

Instead, talk to your children about the deleterious effects of the net, and make the distinction between adult internet use and that of children. If you enjoy taking advantage of online gaming promotions via online sites such as Slotocash, playing with your own money in the hope of winning big, tell your inquisitive kids that such sites are only for adults, and that one can only understand the pitfalls of such services if they are a grown-up. The same goes for radical websites and more general issues such as trusting strangers on the net; tell your children in plain language why these are regarded as dangerous and you’ll gain their respect, protecting them from harm in the process. If this approach is combined with talk of the otherwise excellent potential of the net, an all-round, completely informed image of the world of the internet.

Of course, it’s always a good idea to have some form of parental locks on your family devices so as to protect from any net-based curve balls. You can either do this through your internet service provider, your chosen internet browser, or via software; any of these work very well, and this article does a great job in explaining the set up process. Your family will be surfing safe in no time!

What website is your child’s favorite to play games on?