Lee Parry, CEO and Founder of Enigma Recovery, the mobile data recovery and safety specialists, outlines how you can help keep your children safe online.
The internet can be a great tool, providing endless amounts of information at our fingertips. But, with so much out there online, and so many people accessing it, how can we make sure our children are safe? As of 2018, parents’ concerns over their children’s safety on the web has grown, with just under half of parents saying that the benefits of the internet are not worth the dangers (Ofcom). If you’re worried about your children online, here are five easy steps you can take to keep them safe.
Set up parental controls
One of the first steps you can take to keep your children safe is by setting up parental controls on their mobile devices. These controls will limit what your child can access online to filter out any harmful content.
For Apple devices, like iPhones and iPads, these controls can be turned on by going to ‘settings’ then ‘screen time’. This window will allow you to choose which apps you want to restrict or block, as well as the amount of time your child is allowed on the device for.
For Android devices, these settings can be turned on in one of two ways. If you don’t want to give young children their own devices, you can set up a new user on your own phone or tablet. This can be done by going to ‘settings’ and then ‘users’. Click on ‘add user’ to create a new profile for your child, then download all their favourite child-friendly apps.
To stop them making any extra app purchases, open the Google Play Store app, then go to the menu in the top-left of your screen. Go to ‘settings’ then ‘parental controls’, then tap ‘on’. Your device will ask you to set up a PIN, which will be a short password that allows access to certain features. This means that children who do not know this password cannot make any extra in-app purchases or download any new apps that may not be suitable for their age.
Teach children not to give away any personal information
You should also be talking to your child about what is and isn’t safe online. This includes teaching them not to give out any personal details like their full name, age, address and school. You should also remind them not to trust people they talk to online, as some individuals don’t always tell the truth about who they are. This is especially important in online games and on social media, where adults sometimes pretend to be children to gain their trust.
If your children are older, they may use some social media platforms, so this would be a good time to advise them to keep their accounts private. This can be done in their settings, and it will mean that strangers can’t access their photos and other information they’ve posted.
Discuss the things they’ve seen online
It’s important that you talk to your children about the things they’ve seen online. This includes any cyberbullying, sexual content or violent material. Getting your children talking about the sites they visit and the things they have seen will give you more of an insight into their online activities. It will also give you a chance to let them know that you’d like them to stay away from those sorts of sites and apps in the future.
Giving them a safe space to talk, free of judgement or punishment will reassure your children that they can come to you if they ever witness anything inappropriate. Try to let them know that if they see any sort of cyberbullying, they can come to you for advice straight away.
Spot signs of cyberbullying
Sometimes, cyberbullying can be difficult to identify, but there are some signs you should watch out for, including:
- Nervous behaviour or regular sadness, especially when on their phone
- A reluctance to go to school each morning
- Unusually low grades
- Problems sleeping or eating
- Withdrawal from friends and family
If you spot any of these behaviours, try to open up a discussion about online safety and reassure them that they can always come to you for help.
If you or your child notice any form of cyberbullying, then they should have the option to report it. This should be available on all social media platforms. If they’re being contacted through text or phone calls, they should be able to block the number from contacting them in their phone contacts.
Keep photos and data secure
Mobile safety doesn’t just apply to online apps and games. It’s important that their data is kept safe and secure to avoid people getting their hands on it. Remind them to keep all their devices password protected to avoid strangers getting access if they ever lose their phone.
This also means that, when backing up your data or recovering it after theft or damage, you should only use trusted, secure apps that won’t give out your information when they’re done. The easiest way to check if an app is secure is by reading online reviews from previous users. Some of these apps also use two-factor authentication to work, which means they’ve taken extra steps to protect your photos and messages.
By following these five easy steps, you can help to keep your children safe while they’re online.
If you’re ever worried about any disturbing content that your child has seen online and you feel it is a cause for concern, you should report it immediately.
This post was supplied by Enigma Recovery.
