Children on the Internet

Nowadays, children grow up with digital media as a matter of course. This is also accompanied by certain dangers that not all parents and children are aware of. But how can parents best protect their children and make them aware of the dangers on the internet? We have compiled 7 tips for safe use of new technologies that will help you prepare your child for the digital world.

• Hide personal information. Explain to your child the dangers of posting his/her address, phone number, details of friends and relatives. As a matter of principle, they should not give any location information in contributions published on the Internet and should not send personal photos to people they do not trust.
• Explain the problem of anonymity. A profile can contain photos, texts and many friends, but behind a 12-year-old friend can hide a crazy adult. Therefore, especially children and teenagers should always be cautious about people they do not know in real life. Ask your child to let you know if an "online friend" offers to meet for the first time in real life.
• Explain how to pay online. Online shopping is getting easier, but until you are sure your child understands the difference between secure and insecure payment methods, ask them to shop together. Remind your child not to give credit card details to others, even if they promise free gifts or prize draws.
• With your child's permission, check the content they consume and post. Groups and communities can have a very negative impact on children, e. g. Blue Whale, where members commit suicide, self-harm, etc. Therefore, it is advisable to check what your child finds online and which games your child is playing. Also, it is virtually impossible to remove information from the internet, so it is important to protect your child from future regrets. Discuss what content should not be published online.
• Help to create safe passwords. Since childhood, the new generation has many accounts, so help your child to create a correct and secure password to protect them from hackers.
• Explain the risks of advertising. Advertisements on the Internet can be very tempting and appealing to a child, but behind them can hide identity theft, viruses or an attempt at bribery. Teach your child not to download unknown files or to click on suspicious links.
• Make it clear that you will help to solve the problem.The dangers of the Internet range from cyberbullying, inappropriate content, viruses, blackmail to sexting. Your child needs to know that in a critical situation, he/she can turn to you to solve the problem without fear or shame, rather than solving the problem themselves.