Online Safety for Kids: What Every Parent Should Know

Frank Bravo 0:08
Hi, I'm Frank. Bravo, and welcome to your Tech Makeover, the podcast that gives you tips and tricks to help simplify and get more out of the technology in your life. Today we'll be talking about computers, technology, and kids. Particularly, I want to address all you parents and teens out there on how to stay safe while using your devices online. I know it's almost 2025, but there is still a lot for us to understand. So let's dive right in. First, I want to talk about online identities and how to keep them safe. It's crucial to educate our children about the importance of protecting their personal information online. If we feel that we need to encourage them to not share sensitive details again and again and again, that's probably not a horrible thing. We want to be careful of their full names, their addresses, their phone numbers, school information on public platforms. You know, all that kind of stuff makes them vulnerable if it gets out. So reminding them that their online identity is valuable and should be kept private should be something that we all do. To help your kids understand this concept better. Consider having a conversation about real life scenarios, for example. Explain how identity theft can happen if personal information is shared carelessly. Discuss recent news stories about data breaches or scams that target young people. They are out there and you don't need to look very hard. These discussions can help make the risk feel more and really underscore the importance of safeguarding their personal information online. Next, I want to talk about sensitive information and what to share and what not to share. This all might seem like common sense to you and me, but to kids, they don't necessarily understand this yet. So when I talk personally with clients or their children directly, I emphasize the significance of being cautious when posting photos, videos, and other personal stories. We have to remember that once someone is sharing something online, it's really hard to change or to really completely remove, encouraging them to take a moment before you share something and consider the potential consequences is really paramount. A good practice to adopt is the think before you click rule. Ask yourself and pause and ask questions like, would I be comfortable if this were shared with my teacher or someone I don't know? This is a simple mental check that can help all of us assess whether something should be posted or not. Discussing the permanent of the online content also can help them understand that even with privacy settings, nothing is truly private on the internet. I remember when email first came out, I explained it to our local users as these are digital postcards and if you're not okay with somebody potentially reading it, then you probably should not be digitalized. Having computers in a visible area is another potential aspect of keeping kids safe online. By placing computers in common areas in the house, such as in your living room or study area, you can actively monitor their online activities. This helps set up and create an environment where children feel comfortable seeking guidance and support. They need it. The reality is everyone has computers in their hands lots of times with their cell phones, so this is not always possible. For younger children, you might consider establishing family guidelines for screen time. This could designate hours for internet usage, and a lot of routers and internet services at home have the ability to lock out certain times where these devices cannot be used. I don't push this personally, but it really depends on your situation that you can consider using monitor software to keep an eye on your child's online activity. There are lots and lots of tools available for this that allow you to track their online activities. Set super constrictive time limits and block inappropriate content. However, it's crucial to balance the monitoring with the trust and open communication so that your child understands the purposes behind it. You could also introduce the concept of a digital contract. This is where parents and teens outline what is expected from each other regarding online behavior. This can foster responsibility and accountability while ensuring that your kids feel like they have a voice in the conversation. For instance, as you've heard in previous episodes, I'm sure you know that I have two now grown sons. When our boys were young and living at home, my wife and I made the rules that we could take their digital devices at any point without warning and check their internet access and their usage activity. This allowed us to feel safe that we knew that we could gain access to their devices, because that rule was predetermined, and they understood that there were certain requirements that they needed to be able to do in order to fulfill those rules. When it comes to internet safety, there is software like tools like Net Nanny Norton family or even Bach that are well known and have been around for a long time that prevent additional layers of protection by filtering web content, social media, blocking inappropriate websites, and even alerting you, the parent or the controlling aspect of the person. The devices, I should say to the potential threats. These tools can enhance your child's online safety, but it is essential to use them alongside those open discussions that I've been talking about. Just loading them onto a device is not the solution. At least I don't feel like it is. I encourage clients to make sure their kids understand why you're doing it, and why these programs are there, and encourage them to come to you with questions or concerns about their online experiences. It's also important to educate your kids about the different types of online threats they might encounter. Discuss common dangers like phishing scams, where attackers impersonate legitimate organizations to steal their personal identity. Teach them how to identify specific and suspicious emails or messages that can empower them to make sure that they stay, encouraging them to look for signs of fishing, such as unusual sender addresses, poor grammar in emails, or other devices that we all know and have realized over the years is always very important, and it's always important for them to verify before they click on links or provide any information. Having a discussion about the importance of a strong password and privacy settings is also a must. If they learn now that creating a good password and managing them properly as adults, they'll have good habits. You've heard me talk about that on this podcast before that good password management and good passwords are the key to a safe digital lifestyle. And if it's not obvious to you as the adult. Now is the time to be safe online for yourself as well. It's never too early and never too late to start these practices. So have you taken steps to protect your children online? If you haven't yet, now's the time to do it so that they are better informed and better equipped to be able to navigate the digital world safely. That's it for today. As always, if you have ideas for topics you'd like me to cover, please feel free to contact me via email at Frank at your Tech makeover.com. Thanks for listening to your tech makeover. If you haven't already, make sure you follow the Facebook page at facebook.com/your tech makeover. This is where I'll break down this and other episodes about the podcast. And before I go, I wanted to remind you to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform so that you don't miss an episode. You can also check out your tech makeover. Com to see more information about each episode and where you can find this podcast. If you want to find out more about me, please visit Bravo! It's until next time, I'm Frank Bravo, and this has been your tech makeover.