Some Internet Safety Tips to Keep Your Loved Ones Safer Online
If you or your family is frequently using the internet, then you must know everything about internet safety. Internet safety is all about staying safe on the internet. Every internet user must pay close attention to internet safety because it helps you know about all the risks and dangers lurking on the internet and also helps you adopt some internet safety tips so you and your loved ones can stay safe online.
Other common terms for internet safety are cyber safety, e-safety, or online safety. Whatever you may want to name it, the purpose of internet safety remains the same i.e. to stay safer online. By adopting internet safety tips, you can prevent yourself and your family from being exposed to several unwanted internet threats.
These internet threats can harm your electronic devices, personal information, as well as the mental and physiological well-being of your family. Therefore, it is important to teach your kids about internet safety so they do not fall victim to internet dangers.
Instead of relying on fake hacking and spying sites and apps to monitor your kid’s smartphone and learning tricks on how to access someone’s phone through WIFI, we would suggest you first engage in a healthy and informative conversation with them about internet safety. Installing a monitoring app should be the second option on your list.
Internet Safety Tips to Keep Loved Ones Safe
Internet safety tips can be never-ending. In fact, there are several online safety tips that every parent should be aware of. Each family member has to play their role in keeping their loved ones safe from internet dangers.
We are living in a digital era where our kids are exposed to the internet and electronic devices at a very young age. They begin watching YouTube videos, playing online games, and browsing social media apps sooner than they should. Therefore, as a parent, you should not delay in making them familiar with some internet safety tips.
Below, we have listed a few important and helpful internet safety tips that can protect your loved ones from risks and dangers associated with the internet.
Educate Kids About Internet Dangers
Often kids are not aware of internet safety and that is the reason why they tend to be more vulnerable to internet dangers. If you do not want your kid to be easily exposed to a severe online threat then it’s better to educate them about internet dangers. Teach your kids about all the potential online dangers and also encourage them to ask for help if they experience something unusual on the internet or if something makes them feel uncomfortable online.
Maintain Strong Passwords
Make sure you and your kids maintain strong passwords for all the online accounts they are using. Setting a strong password acts like a primary defense against online hackers and cybercriminals. Never keep your password the same for every account because that would make it easier for anyone to guess it.
You should teach your loved ones to set a strong password for their online accounts by choosing a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Keep the password at least 12 characters long so that it becomes difficult for anyone to know it. Also, do not use family names or birth dates for passwords.
Keep an Eye on Phishing Scams
Adults are wise enough to handle phishing scams on the internet. They would know whether or not they should click a URL that has come from a friend or bank through an email. But the same cannot be expected from your kids. Kids are likely to open all the URLs that they receive through their emails. It is important to educate your kids about phishing scams and along with that, you need to warn them not to click on any URL that they come across in an email or social media platform.
Enable Privacy Settings on Social Media Accounts
Your kids are likely to be on every leading social media app. They like to engage and connect with their friends through social media platforms. But are they really safe there? Social media apps can be surrounded by online hackers, stalkers, and predators. To make sure your kids remain safe on social media, you must enable privacy settings on their accounts. Also, teach your kids to never share their personal information including passwords, home addresses, and birthdays with anyone online. They should also not add, follow, or talk to people on social media they do not know.
Do Not Overshare Anything Online
You should teach your kids to not overshare anything on the internet. They must know how much information is too much information when it comes to sharing it online. Your kids should not share too much information about themselves on any online platform because they can never know who is keeping a close eye on their activities.
On the other hand, they should also avoid sharing personal photos and videos on social media because once this content is stolen by predators or cyberbullies, they can then use it against your kids to damage their reputation.
Shop Online Only from Reliable Sites
If you have allowed your kids to shop online then make sure that they shop safely only from reliable and secure sites. They should only shop from websites that use secure technology. When your kids are shopping from a website, they should verify that the URL begins with HTTPS. This indicates the site is safe to use. Additionally, they should also check if a tiny lock symbol appears next to the URL of the site.
Install Monitoring Software/App
Another important online safety tip that every parent must consider is to install a reliable and effective monitoring software/app on their kid’s device. Monitoring apps are installed to keep a close eye on kid’s smartphone and internet activities.
There are a couple of best hidden spy apps for Android and iPhone available in the market but it is better to take your kid’s consent before installing an app on their phone. That way your kid won’t feel offended and won’t think that you are trying to invade their online privacy. Win your kid’s confidence and then monitor their online activities smoothly without causing any scene.
Like we mentioned earlier, the list of internet safety tips is never-ending. You can adopt a few more and prevent yourself and your family from being exposed to numerous online dangers. However, for that, you need to be first aware of these internet dangers and also know how to tackle them wisely. Only then you can ensure your family’s online safety and provide them a safer online experience.