Technology has changed the way we live. In many ways, technology has made our lives easier. However, while technology makes our lives easier, it also opens us up to new threats that we didn’t have to worry about before technology.
Why Should Parents Monitor Their Children’s Use Of the Internet?
In today’s technological world, children access the internet on their computers, tablets, smartphones, and even on their video games. The problem with the internet is that you can be anonymous. Your children really have no idea who they are actually talking to when they are online. In addition, many children don’t understand that when something is sent online or posted, it is there forever.
There are several reasons why parents should monitor their children’s use of the internet.
When you understand what is out there that can put your children in danger, you will keep a close on your children while using the internet.
Cyberbullying
Bullying is not a new thing. Before the internet, kids would bully each other in class and on the playground. Today, thanks to the internet, parents now need to worry about cyberbullying. This is more dangerous than regular classroom bullying because there are no teachers to intervene. In many cases, the adults in the child’s life won’t know what’s going on until their mood changes, their grades begin to drop, and they start showing signs of emotional distress. Unfortunately, many parents either don’t see the signs, or they don’t understand why their child’s behavior has changed.
If you monitor your child’s use of the internet, you can find out that your child is being cyberbullied when it first begins. This will allow you to intervene before the bullying causes your child to be traumatized.
Monitoring your child’s internet use will also help if your child is doing the bullying. Seeing what they do on the internet will give you a chance to stop your child from being bullied before they cause another child to be emotionally traumatized.
Sexting
Sexting is a serious issue. Teenagers think it is sexy to send nude photos of themselves. Unfortunately, teens live in the moment and don’t think about the long-term. It takes just one nude photo to end up on the internet to ruin your child’s life. Unfortunately, you cannot scrub the internet, and the photos will be there forever.
When you monitor your child’s phone, you can see what they are sending to their friends. If you monitor your child’s phone, you can stop the behavior before it has a lasting impact on your child’s life.
Online Predators
One of the biggest threats to your children is the ones you cannot see. Every time your child accesses the internet or uses social media, they are at risk.
Online predators use the internet to develop friendships with children, putting them at great risk. Online predators pretend to be children to gain your child’s trust, putting them at great physical and emotional risk.
When you monitor your children’s internet use, you can find who they are talking to online. It is easier for an adult to recognize a predator than it is for a child. Monitoring your child’s internet use could save your children’s lives.
Learn More About Their Friends
When kids reach a certain age, they often don’t talk to their parents as much as they once did. You may hear your children talking about their friends, but you really don’t know what goes on when you aren’t around.
Monitoring your children’s internet use will allow you to see what they talk about with their friends. If a friend is asking your child to drink, do drugs or shoplift, you can find out before your child makes a life-changing mistake.
Protect Your Child’s Reputation
As mentioned earlier, kids don’t think before posting on the internet. Your child could post something that will affect their future chances of getting into a good college or getting a good job.
When you monitor your child’s internet and social media use, you delete something damaging, safeguarding their future.
Protect Their Personal Information
Most kids don’t understand must about digital strangers and hackers. These people often target younger children because they assume that younger kids are more vulnerable and trusting. If a child offers too much information online, a stranger can use this information to open credit card accounts, and their identity can be stolen.
Regular monitoring will allow you to see who your children talk to on the internet, preventing your children’s personal information from being stolen.
Keep Them Safe When They Aren’t Home
Kids today love to “check-in” on social media to let their friends and followers know where they are at all times. While this is something kids do, it isn’t safe.
Your child can check-in at the park or the mall, allowing online predators to find them in real life. This will put your child at great risk of being kidnapped or worse.
Monitoring your child’s internet use will help you see what they are doing online that puts them at risk in the real world, so you can put a stop to it immediately.
Prevent Malware and Viruses
Most kids cannot tell whether a website, app and download are trustworthy. If your child accidentally infects the computer, smartphone, or tablet, monitoring their internet use will allow you to find out right away before any personal information on the device is stolen.
Limit Your Children’s Screen Time
If we allowed it, kids today would spend all of their free time on a screen and less time enjoying the real world. You can limit your child’s screen time; however, unless you watch them 24/7, they could be adding extra screen time to your day without you knowing.
If you monitor your children’s internet use, you can see when they logged on and logged off. This will allow you to control their screen time, allowing them to be active and exercise their brains in other ways.
The world has changed greatly since you were young, and there are many more reasons to worry about your children. The internet is a great way to find useful information, connect with friends and loved ones, and for shopping and banking. Although you can do many things online today to save time, the internet has opened your children up to multiple threats. Now that you understand the potential threats, you can be more proactive.
There are a few easy ways to monitor your children’s internet use. First, you should know the passwords to get on their computer, tablet, and cellphone. Next, ask your children for their social media passwords and set a rule that they don’t change the password without first giving you the new one.
You will need access to your children’s devices and social media accounts if you are going to properly monitor them. There is a good chance that your children won’t like being monitored, but it is necessary to keep them safe and to protect their future. Why should parents monitor their children’s use of the internet? The answer is simple. It is to keep our children safe.
