The Internet has been a treasure trove for the younger generation. As parents, we seek to keep our children entertained. It is now commonplace that parents have handed off digital devices in favor of online classes or extra curriculum activities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a new fear for Singaporean parents. In a recent survey by Google, 62% of them expressed increased worry about online safety. Their top concerns included protecting children’s privacy and security online and spotting scams or preventing children from oversharing personal information on the Internet. However, with more time spent on screens comes an increased need to protect them from cyber dangers lurking anonymously online.
One of the most recent cases in Singapore involves a 17-year old boy who watched YouTube videos to steal motorcycles with his friends after learning how from watching online tutorials because they couldn’t afford their bikes.
Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/teen-learnt-how-to-hot-wire-motorcycles-from-youtube-to-steal-them
We are at a crucial point in the world where we need to ask ourselves, “are our children safe from digital dangers?” This incident raised a pertinent question. Are kids educated enough about cyber safety?
- Set Some Rules
You can establish a set number of hours for browsing and be diligent in following through. For instance, when they start their online classes, you could limit the time spent on digital devices like smartphones or tablets so that they are not distracted by other things going on in life.
2. Teaching Internet Safety
Kids need to be educated about the different types of dangers online: Cyberbullying, viruses, and malware, scams or phishing schemes, etc. Scams are also a huge risk for kids online because they’re often designed specifically with young people’s psychological vulnerabilities in mind.
3. Never Share Any Personal Information Online
Kids should never share any personal information online without parental permission! This includes their name, address, phone number, and school. Kids should also avoid giving out passwords for email addresses or social media sites, as this can lead to identity theft in the long run.
4. Talk to Them
Cybercrime operators are also devising new strategies to dupe people and bully them online. So, you must have open conversations with your child about the dangers of exposing personal information on social media networks like Facebook or Twitter when they post a message, photo, video, or check-in from their location. By encouraging an open conversation in which kids feel comfortable sharing any issues related to cyberbullying with honesty.
But that doesn’t mean you should expose your child to all of this technology before they’re ready, it’s best to start with some basic internet safety tips when teaching children how to use a computer or other electronic device.
The final sentence: Our kids are our future; tomorrow’s leaders and innovators. Kids should be taught about the dangers of technology to protect themselves from severe consequences they could face down the line!
