Safe Internet Day 2022: Tips to keep children safe online

Safe Internet Day 2022 is observed every year on the second day of the second week of February across 200 countries and territories worldwide.

The hashtag #PlayYourPart is used by the Safer Internet Day campaign this year to address how we can all contribute together to make the internet a kinder and more supportive place, no matter if we're watching, creating, or browsing material online.

With the theme 'All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online' of this special occasion this year, the time has come for the parents to recognise the harm of the Internet to their children if no measures are taken to promote a healthier and more secure online experience for the young generation.

Here are some of the tips for parents to minimise the potential of your children being harmed by cyberspace.

EDUCATE CHILDREN ON HEALTHY ONLINE HABITS

Education should be the anchor that keeps the children attached to a safer Internet usage since this might not be included in their school syllabus. Teach your child about online risks and cybersecurity by reminding them not to reveal personal information to strangers, how to recognise online ads and encourage them to be kind and respectful to their friends when they go online. It is important that they are aware of cyberbullying and what they should do if they were cyberbullied, but you should be able to detect the signs if your child is doing that to their friends

CHOOSE STRONG PASSWORDS

Some parents take this part lightly as they leisurely pick out random numbers and combinations to become their child’s passwords, but this is not a smart move. The reason is that setting passwords that are easy to guess could expose your child to cyber frauds. This is also applied to parents who also use personal information such as birth date, mobile numbers and names or those who set up the same password for multiple accounts of their child’s devices. Take these into consideration as you choose the passwords for your child’s accounts.

RUN LATEST ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAMMES

It is crucial that you check the latest software and antivirus programmes running your children’s device because devices are prone to be regularly threatened by new viruses. Hence, ensure that you install this and make sure that the privacy settings are also on. Why? This is to reduce data collection.

SPEND TIME WITH THEM ONLINE

Giving your child free reign on the Internet is not a good idea for obvious reasons. Your child might stumble upon many advertisements or links that could direct them to inappropriate online websites. Hence, make some time to browse the Internet together with your child in order to identify age appropriate apps, games and other online entertainment they use on a daily basis.

ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES ONLINE

In order to provide a safe space on the Internet for your child, establish clear boundaries with your child in accordance with how they can use the Internet. Make specific rules such as no downloading applications without your permission. This is to enable you to monitor what apps your child has been using and stop your child from downloading those that are not age-appropriate. Be firm with the rules, like certain websites are not allowed any access without your presence or permission.