By Kudzai Nyahanana
The internet has now become a really big city with no police, filled with unfiltered potential for kids to be exposed to harmful interactions like bullying and harassment and inappropriate content. It’s a scary place to let your kids loose unsupervised. The parents therefore must ensure that their children know how to use the internet healthily and productively and in a way appropriate for their age. While it is important to grant your child more freedom as they age, it is still important to check their phones to ensure they are safe with their online interactions.
Reasons why you should monitor for child’s online activity.
- Cyber-bullying
Cyberbullying is bullying that happens online using digital technologies. The increasing penetration of
technology and the advent of social media has contributed to making cyberbullying a public health
concern. Many teenagers and young adults have gotten to a point where they would rather tolerate the
negative effects of being online than be disconnected.
Most victims of Cyberbullying do not report these incidences for fear of being restricted in their
time on their devices and the internet. Some even fear that their devices will be confiscated for good.
Being online is thus exacerbating traditional threats and harms that many children already face offline.
What makes cyberbullying even more terrible as compared to traditional bullying is the possibility of anonymity of the bully, the ability to use someone else’s screen name provides bullies with the
opportunity to communicate things they would be reticent to say to another’s face. It is also difficult for
one to disconnect him/herself from the cyber environment unlike one would do in a face to face bullying.
Without proper supervision, you may not be aware of whether your child is being bullied or bullying others.
- Inappropriate Content
Your child could be exposed to content that is salacious or grossly inappropriate. The child may also be sharing the inappropriate content they find online with strangers. Thus, you must be aware of what your child is being exposed to and what he/she is sharing online.
- Protect their reputation
There are certain things which should not be posted online as they are going to harm your child’s reputation and future chances of getting a better job or college admission. Monitoring them lets you know if your child or their friends post anything harmful.
- Protect their personal information
Children may not be aware of what to share and what not to share. As a result, they may impulsively share their location, pictures, the name of the school they attend, their residence, information about their parents and much more. This is the kind of information that online predators and perverts use to track your child which can be risky. Online predators use this information to track your child which can be risky.
- Viruses and Malware
There are many apps and websites online and some contain harmful content that can negatively affect your child. Malware can get onto your device when you open or download attachments or files, or visit a scammy website Some viruses can be easily removed but hackers could blackmail you for a ransom to remove the virus from the system. Parents should monitor the websites their teenagers visit and ensure they have good antivirus software installed to protect their personal information.
- Social Media and Gaming addiction
The advent of technology has resulted in addiction to social media and games. This addiction can cause insomnia, lack of motivation, depression, impaired vision, loss of social life etc. The best way to deal with such negative phenomena is to monitor your child’s screen time and set limits and schedules on your child’s device.
How to protect your kids?
Teach our children about the smart and safe ways of using social media. Constantly monitor your child’s activities online until they are mature and knowledgeable enough about what to do and what not to do on the internet.
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