How do i protect my child on the internet? – 15 things to know

In today’s technology age, the nagging question facing every parent is – How Do I Protect my Child On The Internet.

Children are more versed in the latest technology than their parents because most children are very inquisitive and due to peer pressure, every child wants to be on the latest and trending app/website.

In this digital age where the advancement of technology controls almost all aspects of our life, protecting children against online risks must be an added priority amongst other responsibilities of parents.

In a survey by the UK Royal Society for Public Health, it was reported that social media is more addictive than cigarettes & alcohol.

Despite its many benefits, the internet or social media can be a very dangerous place for children if they are not properly monitored because many children have ignored the advantages of social media and embraced the disadvantages.

READ: Indonesian Influencer, Sara Keihl Auctions Her Virginity To Raise Money To Fund Coronavirus Fight

Parents must be aware that there are so many risks attached to their children when they are using the internet and when these risks are ignored, the children will be exposed to many online dangers e.g. cyberbullying, cybersex addiction, depression, pornography addiction, internet fraud, data breaches, online gaming & gambling addiction, etc.

In a recent statistics of social media addiction, it was discovered that teens who spend over 5 hours a day on social media are 71% more vulnerable to suicide compared to teens who only use social networks for one hour a day (Source: NPR)

There was a report of a 16-year-old girl in Malaysia who took her own life, hours after 69% of respondents on her social media account encouraged her to kill herself.

To minimize these online risks, being mindful of the following tips can ensure that your children are protected online:

Teach them moral education so that they will know how to treat others with respect.

Teach your children to always get permission from you anytime they want to use social media.

Tell them that they should never reveal any information about themselves or their family members to their online or real life friends.

Always update the browser on their computer and other mobile devices.

Keep their computer in an open place where every member of the family can see what they are doing online.

Spend more time with your children and always interact with them so as know if they are addicted to social media or not.

Make sure you know the username and password of their social media accounts.

Teach them to always inform you anytime they experience anything online that makes them uncomfortable.

Discourage them from visiting any website with inappropriate content e.g. porn sites.

Encourage them to use a child-friendly search engine that only displays suitable pages for the young ones.

Use parental control softwares on their computers, tablets and phones.

Discourage them from having many social media accounts.

Educate them to know the difference between online and real-life friends.

Set a time limit for them any time they want to use the computer or social media.

Make sure you know their online friends.

This article was written by Rotimi Onadipe.

You can reach him via email: onatechconsult@gmail.com

Kanyi Daily also reported that a Russian teen sold her virginity for $17,000 on an auction site.

The young girl proposed meeting in a hotel in the city of Krasnoyarsk where she wished to be paid before sleeping with the man who exceeded her minimum price.

Russian police said they would not investigate since she and the buyer had broken no laws. ’I am in urgent need of money, so I am selling the most precious thing I possess,’ she said on the auction site, according to The Siberian Times.

While, a Japanese politician beat London lawyer and German club Munich football player in a fiercely contested bid to buy the virginity of a Turkey-based Azerbaijani most successful model, Mahbuba Mammadzada.