How much control do we have over what children look at on the internet? Give them an iPad with an episode of Peppa Pig playing and they have access to all the things we try to protect them from in life. The internet is an amazing place to learn but it can also be a place where children can learn about the wrong things.
It is a minefield of never-ending information that can often be overwhelming for the best of us so imagine what it is like for a child. Not only that but obviously there are the darker sides of the internet which children can be sucked into without them knowing and are painful just to think about.
So, how can we keep children safe on the internet?
There are obviously more simple solutions, for example:
- Setting up parental-locks
- Keeping passwords on your devices so they can’t access them
- Chaperone them whilst they use the internet
- Follow (and stalk!) any social media accounts they have
- Help them set up accounts and ensure privacy settings are on
- Encouraging reading or other activities that don’t involve the internet or technology
Then there are those that may be more influential, like approaching schools and asking them to put on sessions regarding internet safety, or setting specific internet/phone times in your house.
The fact is that we have no control over what children do and see on the internet which is a very scary thought. We think the most important thing in tackling this issue is ensuring there is an open conversation about it, hence this very well-timed blog post! A conversation between adults and also between adults and children, children need to be aware of the dangers that there are on the internet so they shouldn’t be shut out of the conversation about it. Approaching the topic with empathy instead of scaremongering will hopefully mean that children don’t feel targeted and that the situation isn’t unfair on them if you limit their internet use or other mitigation techniques. Giving them the reasons behind your actions and your worries will help. Talking to children about these things and other difficult topics will prove to them that no topic is out of bounds so will encourage them to approach you, instead of the internet, next time they have a question about something. We need to learn to trust each other more than we trust our screens.
