There can’t be a parent in the land who has complete confidence in their child’s ability to self-regulate when it comes to internet use. Yet we seem helpless when it comes to dealing with it: While many children are not allowed to cross a road alone until they hit double figures, they are completely free to explore corners of the web unsupervised.
Here, insights into some of the biggest challenges parents and kids face about:
- Watch loads of YouTube: Many children now watch YouTube for longer periods than conventional television. For those of us who like to think we have this internet-safety thing licked with parental controls, think again. According to Sean Sullivan, security advisor, who works for European cyber security provider, F-Secure, there are a wealth of “How to…” videos on the site that will give step-by-step instructions to children to outwit their less tech-savvy parents or schools.
- Watch unvettedd live-streaming: Moderators generally do a good job of removing extreme material but live-streaming on social media gives children a chance to see graphic images uncensored. The content may have a news agenda – footage of a massacre in Syria, for example – but it is age-inappropriate and possibly very disturbing.
- Get led by Google Suggested Searches: “If you’re going to give a child a tablet,” says Sullivan, “you don’t want the search bar to do the searching for him.” He has dealt with too many appliances for clients which have an unsavoury search history on them – passed on to their children, curiosity and/or poor spelling can end up with Google leading a child to some extreme sites. “Practise digital hygiene,” is his advice. Keep your devices separate from your children’s and change passwords regularly.
- Encounter sites that target the vulnerable: Social media sites have cut down on pro-anorexia/suicide/self-harm content by blocking words such as “thinspiration”. But this just leads to new code words being created and teenagers, in particular, are a step ahead of their parents in these developments.
- Use secret Chat Apps: Some apps such as WhatsApp and Kik allow children to send messages without parental knowledge. Others encourage contact between users while seemingly offering anonymity. However, not only does the anonymity mean that you do not know who your child is communicating with. Some chat apps offer conversations with people in your location based on GPS and other social media information. Naïve users can inadvertently give away their identity and be easily “found” in real life.
Internet tips to help every parent
1. Don’t rely on parental controls, they can always be over-ridden. Talking to your and enforcing limits is more effective.
2. Lead by example – don’t constantly check your phone or sit glued to a screen. Use other forms of entertainment: “Spoken word radio or audio books is a great way of encouraging your child’s listening skills,” he says.
3. Discuss safe internet use and keep discussing it. A study by the US National Cyber Security Alliance published August 2016 spoke to 800 teens and 800 parents and showed a disconnect between what was said and what was done. For example, although 50% of parents claimed that they insisted on children sharing passwords, only 16% of the teens did this.
4. Turn off WiFi occasionally.
More screen time and online safety tips
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