As your child enters their teenage years, it’s completely normal for them to be interested in the online world. Social media is a big part of today’s society and can be a vital tool for your child to engage and interact with others.
However, understandably, you may have some initial concerns. While there are benefits, there are also a lot of risks and dangers associated with the internet.
In this article, we will discuss five tips you should follow to help keep your teen safe online.
Sound interesting? Then let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Do your own research.
You will not be able to keep your teen safe online without doing your own research first. You’ll need to educate yourself in the right areas so that you can pass on the information in the best way possible.
Whether it be learning about a recognized human trafficking symbol, identity theft, sexting, or cyberbullying – knowing the risks will ensure that you can properly educate your child. Otherwise, they may not respect what you are saying.
Communicate openly and regularly.
Once you know what areas you should be concerned about, the next step is communicating with your teen. However, you must do this carefully. While you want them to be aware of the dangers, you don’t want them to be afraid.
Alongside discussing what can occur, talk about strategies and techniques they should follow to stay safe. Don’t forget to allow time for any questions at the end.
Be a good role model.
Our children behave as we do, so if you want them to be careful online, you must follow the same rules. Avoid posting publicly on social media and never share information about your location.
The better role model you are, the easier it will be for them to follow in your tracks. Not to mention it is great for building a solid relationship.
Establish trust.
You may get the overwhelming desire to monitor everything your teen does when they get their own phone or laptop, but this isn’t exactly wise. While it’s normal to be concerned, invading their privacy can destroy trust.
Instead, focus on ensuring they are comfortable enough to come to you about any concerns. Of course, you can still use parental controls on their web browsers, but you shouldn’t be overseeing everything they are doing. Just think of how you would feel!
Set online time.
Finally, if you find that your family is using the internet a little too much, one idea is to determine a time frame so that you can all enjoy a much-needed break. This doesn’t have to be set in stone, but even switching off devices an hour before bed can be a healthy habit to get into.
You can also opt for “screen-free” time so that you are focusing all of your attention on one another. It’s the perfect opportunity to have a family meeting or pull out a favorite board game.
Final words.
As you can see from the above, it’s crucial to introduce the internet to your teenager carefully. However, this can also be an excellent opportunity for you to connect. You want to both be on the same page, especially in regards to cyber safety.
