It’s in our nature to be afraid of things that we don’t know. Let’s take the example of fire; we must have been terrified of discovering it for the first time. But with time and lives invested in controlling the fire, we are thankful for its existence. However, if not careful still, it is dangerous.
The digital environment is similar to fire for parents. They cannot keep up with its changing nature and cannot control it. It is like they have just discovered it, and it is the one thing their children are very good at, better than them. We all have taught our parents to change a profile picture on a social network at some point in life.
Kids nowadays are tech-savvy. They invest a big proportion of time every day in the digital environment. It is unhealthy both physically and mentally to be engaged in the internet for a longer period. But most importantly, no restriction in the internet world brings many threats to your private and personal life.
We hear about cyberbullying, illegal trade, theft of private space, and many other internet-related crimes for which there are no legislation measures. Our kids are vulnerable to these threats; for them, the internet is a wonderland. They even don’t know that getting bullied online is a violation of their human rights. They conceal their trauma and stress under the blanket of fake gestures and believe that it’s their problem to deal with. Acting tough, they don’t speak to their parents.
It has become very difficult to create a safe digital environment. There are many things involved in the internet which are impossible to be controlled by a single person. We have to find measures to act against the problems, seen and unseen.
Methods for a safe digital environment for your kids
Communication
We have to build a communicating relationship with our children. We should nurture them with the pros and cons of the internet from the beginning. There should be no hesitation in telling them how much you are terrified for their safety.
Kids nowadays have their definition of personal space and decisions. They don’t want anyone to interfere with their activities. But as a parent, we have to make them understand the consequences of one mistake. One is all it takes.
We should repeatedly tell them about the threats around us because of the internet, no matter how annoying it is. They may argue, get irritated or even fight, but we should continuously make them aware. As a parent, we must understand that their safety is more important than the life lessons.
Monitoring application
After building a good relationship, it won’t be a problem for you to ask them to comply with the safety measures you provide.
It is an ironclad statement that you need a diamond to cut a diamond. You need a demon to fight a devil. It is only logical to install a monitoring application on your child’s phone to monitor their every move on the internet.
Security applications like mSpy, MobileSpy.io, Qustodio remove all your concerns regarding your kids’ safety. Such apps come with many parental control features that will help you monitor email, browsing history, wifi logins, applications, messages, contacts, location, and other activities on your kids’ targeted mobile device. You will be aware of your child’s entire activity remotely. It is very good at finding your child’s social networking personality, which is a crucial part of their life. You will have an exclusive closure.
It is good to take the consent of a child before putting a spying application in their phone. Considering how protective they are about their privacy, it is the healthiest thing to do.
Legislation measures
The Internet is an omnipotent entity in existence. We cannot simply change our ways of working on a personal level, community level, or even country level. It is changing every day, learning and mutating just like the COVID-19 coronavirus. We all know how difficult it has been even for a country.
But countries made masks mandatory to have control over the spread. We have ways to limit ourselves to something by creating awareness. We can mask the contents and exposure of our children to the internet to create a safe digital environment.
Government must make strict rules and filters to supervise digital technology. There must be organizations invested in implementing rules and regulations. Governments can tackle the threats to minors from the internet. We can give awareness programs and formal counseling regarding personal rights and human rights to children.
A safe digital environment is not a necessary reform; it is a part of basic rights now. We must manage it without question. There is a bar on various activities that could be hazardous, but there is no restriction on digital platforms. Kids can be vulnerable to anyone or any plan on the internet.
We should be very active in protecting our kids from the jungle out there. The question is only how are we going to do that.
Conclusion
With the ongoing digitization of the world, it has become the duty of parents to create a safe internet space for their kids. So, the major three things that you as a parent can do are build a strong communication relationship, use monitoring apps and also understand the legislative measures.
