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Best Practices to Ensure Your Children Consume Safe Content Online

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Best Practices to Ensure Your Children Consume Safe Content Online

Let’s face a harsh truth: children today aren’t as safe as we think. We strive to keep them safe by giving them company wherever they go, but believe it or not, their safety is questionable in today’s internet-driven world. It’s true that the internet has changed people’s lives positively, but it’s also become a place where various types of age-inappropriate content are floating around.
Children today are using the internet for their education and interaction needs. But they are also at a high risk of consuming content that’s emotionally and psychologically damaging. Does that scare you? Don’t fret because you can make sure your kid doesn’t fall prey to that with these tips:
1. Keep an eye on your kids’ online activities
Most kids want autonomy while surfing the internet. Yes, they need it to some extent. However, you still need to supervise their activity. You should ask your kids to share their email address and social media credentials with you so that you can keep a check on what they do. They might feel you are snooping around, but make them feel that it’s for their safety and good.
2. Set usage limits
If your kids spend most of their time on their smartphones, laptops, and other internet-connected gadgets, then perhaps you should consider limiting that. You can set rules for the number of hours in a day that they can use these devices. You can even use apps created for Android and Apple smartphones that allow you to set screen-time limits for minors.
3. Teach your children the art of scanning content
Children often land on an inappropriate website inadvertently. Sometimes it’s their curiosity that leads them to these websites. The best thing to do here is to restrict a few websites. You can do so considering your children’s age and maturity level. But it’s also important for you to teach your children how to judge websites and their content. Be open about the ills of some websites and how they may affect them.
4. Know what your children share online
Last but certainly not least, you should check the information that your children reveal in the online space. Your children may unknowingly give out too much information because they often lack the understanding of boundaries. As such, you should check the websites they visit, what your children talk about with others on the website, and what are the terms and conditions. This will help you know whether these websites are safe for your children or not.