Exploring Internet Safety With Your Child

The internet is a vast space full of everything you can think of. It is full of fun, change and huge opportunities too. However, like the real world, it also opens new doors and access to criminals and con artists. Given that everything online is done behind a screen, many choose to use this method to target people in bad ways. As a parent, it is vital that you teach your child how to stay safe online as it begins the second your child uses the internet. Here are some tips from a prep school in Amersham on exploring internet safety with your child.

Remember, as long as your child is young, they shouldn’t be using the internet alone and unsupervised. It is important that you stay in the room with them whilst they use it, assisting them along the way and keeping an eye on websites used to research or watch their favourite tv shows on. As children grow, things do become more complicated though. Teenagers should be heavily monitored when using the internet as this is the exact age when their curiosity runs wild.

Explain to your child how the internet actually works. Use simple terms to describe what the internet is, a huge encyclopedia can be one analogy made. Teach them how to fact-check as everything online can be altered very easily. Show your child some trustworthy websites and show them what to look out for to know why it is trusted.

Social media is also a new part of the internet that billions of people use every day. Posting statuses, images and locations can be an easy way for stalkers and people with bad intentions to target young people. Let your child know to never share images or locations with strangers and encourage them to keep their online life if they feel the need to have one, as private as possible. There are many horror stories of online crimes, so ensure you do your best to keep your child as far away from it as possible.