Steps To Keeping Your Kids Safe Online
Feb 11, 2020, 9:03 AM
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Feb. 11 is Safer Internet Day, and it’s the perfect day for parents to take steps to ensure their children are staying safe online.
What used to be accessed from a desktop computer is now overwhelmingly a smartphone feature that more than eight in 10 adults in the U.S. use every day.
About half of all 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds and 75% of older teens also access the internet from a mobile device. So how do we keep it safe for them?
First, parents need to talk to their children and make sure they know what they’re posting and where.
Second, there need to be limits – both on the time kids spend online and what kinds of media they consume.
Third, adults need to protect children with everything from passwords to education and good habits on what is appropriate to share.
Fourth, parents need to follow good practices, too. If children see their moms and dads breaking all the rules they set for them, they’re a good chance they won’t take online dangers seriously.
And finally, there needs to be constant communication. New apps pop up all the time, and it’s necessary for parents to spend the time getting acquainted with the sites and programs their kids are using.
