Keeping kids safe online
Published on Tue Feb 15 2022 in Family
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat, TikTok… it’s hard enough to keep up with all the latest social media platforms let alone worrying about keeping our kids safe when using them. When today’s parents were younger, there was likely to be only the one family computer in a communal area, and with slow dial-up speed and time limits, internet safety did not factor much in day-to-day life.
Today’s reality for parents
Fast forward to today with children now using smart phones, tablets, laptops and gaming consoles that connect to the internet, and online safety becomes a much more challenging task for parents.
Not only are there constant emerging technologies and more devices than ever, but children are using devices at an increasingly young age, meaning parents need to be more and more on the forefront of the technologies that their children are using.
Monitoring of devices
Thankfully, there are now many online resources and software tools that help parents keep their children safe from some of the dangers lurking online. NZ Police recommend installing parental control software on all devices to help restrict the sites and apps your children can access and/or help you monitor their activity.
However, keeping kids safe is not as simple as just installing a software program, parents still need to actively monitor all online use including who children are talking to on social media and what apps are downloaded. Some apps purposely mask their true intention by looking like an innocent game or program, but these apps can be used by others to access your children.
Education is still the best practice
Unfortunately, even with the most sophisticated software, and high levels of parental monitoring, children can still receive unwanted contact online. The best safeguard is to have open conversation with your child about all aspects of online safety and ensure they know what is and is not safe to post or receive online. They also need to be aware of the consequences of posting personal information and images online. Parents should make sure that their children know that it is okay to ask for help when any contact or content makes them feel unsafe.
Most importantly if you or your child are concerned about a person online, seek help from the police in an emergency or for non-emergencies, report it online through netsafe.org.nz
Managing screentime
Keeping children safe online does not just mean keeping them safe from people who may mean them harm. It also means keeping them safe from themselves – in particular, the overuse of online technology.
Too much screentime has been linked to many health effects including obesity, poorer motor skills, hyperactivity, and poor sleep in pre-schoolers leading to national guidelines being set for children aged 2-5 of no more than one hour a day1. At this young age, it is easier to set limits however as children get older and begin to use the internet for homework or research purposes, parents can struggle to find the right balance. A good guide for parents is to use the national guidelines for sleep and physical activity to ensure screentime is not affecting their child’s health.
Screentime management tools
To assist parents, many devices now have built in screentime management settings that allows you to see not only the amount of screentime your child has had, but in many cases what apps they have been using. In addition, most can prescribe limits on how much screentime is available to the child, and what apps they are allowed to use, or how much time they can spend in a particular app or game before the device locks, requiring a parent to unlock. These settings are helpful when enforcing screen-free times like during family time and after bedtime.
However, even with the most up to date technical assistance, there is no one size fits all solution to protecting kids online, so educating them to identify and avoid the risks themselves remains the best approach.
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About Author: Momentum Life is a leading provider of Life insurance and Funeral insurance in New Zealand.
1. First NZ Study on effects of screen-time on pre-school children | Beehive.govt.nz
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