My children have asked me repeatedly what my wife and I used to do as kids before the Internet. Recently our Internet connection went down for 30 minutes and about ten minutes after I noticed that we had 0 ability to connect to the Net, I asked myself what am I going to do with myself while the Internet is down?
Children spend more time online than ever before and many youngsters own a tablet, cellphone or other Internet-enabled device that they have with them at all times just like adults. Home security doesn’t include just your home itself but also the people inside and what they do on a daily basis that can cause them (and you) harm while online.
The sooner you teach your kids about cybersecurity to protect both them and you against online threats, the better. As many adults fall for online scams regularly, it stands to reason that many children will also be taken in by fake offers online and perhaps worse.
Cybersecurity For Kids
73% of people report being bullied
at some point during school. 34% of students reported that they had been cyberbullied in their lifetime. Since cyberbullying is a relatively new problem, we should expect that number to increase over time especially since anyone with an Internet connection globally may experience it.
Here are aspects of Internet use that average children may need education and guidance on.
Surfing
Surfing the Internet is probably the first thing kids will do in general terms online. Watching videos, checking out websites and other fun things as they become aware of what the Internet entails. My kids know they can watch Netflix (kids controls are used) and YouTube and they text their friends but I trust at this point that they know what to do and what not to. If things changed and I noticed them doing things they shouldn’t, this status would be reviewed.
Downloads
Downloading anything on any device carries a risk especially if it isn’t from a trusted source. Letting your kids know this up front is important although they may not fully understand depending on their age and maturity. As we’ll discuss below, you can also discuss the other aspect of downloading things, namely that no device has unlimited memory.
You can also add protection password to prevent anything from being downloaded if you’re particularly worried about them downloading the wrong thing.
Cyberbullies
This is a very important aspect of cybersecurity and safety for your kids in general. Especially these days with kids doing more online school work and possibly have access to Zoom, Skype, Teams and other apps that can be used for good and bad reasons. They’re probably also increasingly texting and emailing friends while posting things on various social media sites, too.
Predators
Children often find it hard to believe that there are bad people online and people pretending to be someone who they aren’t. This is particularly a problem in gaming chatrooms and other public forums where young kids are known to congregate.
Inappropriate Content
These days it isn’t hard for kids to come across things they shouldn’t watch. This includes legitimate popular websites that they might be allowed to visit. At the end of the day, the parents need to help navigate this part of Internet security and decide what is appropriate for their kids.
Parental controls are a good start as is speaking in advance with your kids as to what they can and can’t view online.
Online Purchases
I’ve lost count of the number of time my little one has asked if she can buy some paid service for a game she plays on her phone. I don’t want to get into the habit of buying things for online games so I nipped that one in the bud by telling her about how some online game companies are renowned for overcharging customers and allowing children to rack up big bills for paid games. So we don’t do it.
Online Security Tips For Kids
It’s like the old analogy about the hands in the cookie jar. If you tell your kids not to put their hands in the cookie jar, they will. Similarly if you tell them not to swear, they will.
In my experience as a father of two young children, I find that educating and advising them about online predators and scams is more effective than telling them “don’t do that!” They just don’t know. The main aspects of Internet security I discussed my kids first were:
Never talk with strangers
I find analogies and anecdotes help when talking with my kids so I tell them about stories I’ve read about adults pretending to be kids and ensuring that they only converse with people online who are actual friends. If they get a call or text from someone they don’t know, let me or my wife do and that’s what they do.
Several times my younger one will run over with her phone and say that someone called and she doesn’t recognize the number so I trust my kids in this regard.
Never share personal info online
I stressed up front that they are never to give out our address, phone number or any personal information online. Kids are taught from a young age to be honest and to answer questions honestly. Then they go online and get asked questions that they’re told not to answer. It can be confusing for a young child.
Some higher end security products can be installed on a device that prohibits sending personal information on chat rooms or other public Internet forums.
Discuss cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is a two-way street: On the one hand you don’t want your child being cyberbullied. On the other, you don’t want them cyberbullying someone else’s child either. Children learn at a young age that being picked is on is no fun but when someone else is receiving the brunt of the attention, you don’t want them to take part it in either.
Parental control usage can help to block people who are bothering them and depending on who the offender is, a discussion with that kid’s parents or the school might be in order too.
The Internet never forgets
From a young age it’s important to educate kids on how once something goes online it can be difficult to delete it. Photos, texts, videos, emails. They all have an online paper trail that kids and even many adults don’t understand.
It’s also worth having a talk with your kids about not defaming people, teachers or businesses online as that can have a legal impact too. With various websites encouraging kids to post comments and speak openly, it isn’t hard to find out about kids talking about teachers who they don’t like and making other comments that can get them – and possibly you – into a great deal of trouble.
Device Memory
Many adults don’t even understand this. Every time my little one wants to download something on her – or my – cellphone, I remind her about the memory that it uses up. Your devices don’t have unlimited memory. It’s not security related per se but the more apps you or your kids download on your device, the slower the device runs and the sooner you run out of memory. It’s worth teaching your kids about this aspect of their devices while covering the security part too because they are somewhat related.
A Careful Balance
At the end of the day, each parent can decide what’s best for their kids but I think the cookie jar analogy makes sense: If you tell them to avoid too many things online they will rebel.
If you’re too strict with your kids and they see other kids accessing games and other things that they can’t, they will find a way to do it too, just away from you.