Online safety guidelines play an important role in many young people’s life, whether at home or school. Now a days, young people are spending a significant amount of time online every day as a result of the current situation, which requires them to shift into a digital learning space. Even when teachers and parents go to great lengths to ensure optimum safety in today’s virtual learning environment, there are still vulnerabilities that could lead them into trouble.
Therefore, as parents and teachers, you now have a greater obligation to keep a watch on your children and safeguard them from uninvited situations. The simplest way to do this is by educating young people on the online dangers. To help you out, here are some helpful recommendations and advice for you to start using.
1. Familiarize yourself with your child’s tech tools:
Children have become extremely reliant on technology as a result of distance learning and the transition to at-home schooling. One of the first things you as parents should do before discussing online security with your children is to familiarize yourself with the digital environment and the devices they are using. Simply asking your children to show you how their day is going will provide you with extra information.
2. Think before you click:
This is an important piece of advice for a anyone who spends a lot of time online. This will give them a second chance to double-check what they’re about to click and determine whether or not it’s necessary or safe. Never reply to messages from unknown sources or click on questionable links sent by strangers.
3. Cyberbullying and the lack of anonymity:
Whilst most parents grew up in the early days of the internet, things have drastically changed. Whatever you write or upload can be recorded and kept for others to view. Especially if the equipment is given by the school. Explain to your kids that they should report cyberbullying and should never feel compelled to bully others. Actions have repercussions, just as they do in real life. Make it clear that everything they say or share on social media or through instant messaging applications must be something they’d be happy yelling through the school window for everybody to hear. The sooner children understand that what they say is not private, the less likely they are to get into trouble.
4. Create unique and strong passwords:
Everyone should create strong passwords to keep their accounts secure, and this includes young people. That’s why it’s important to emphasis to your children the need for them to create complex, strong passwords, and new ones for every account they open.
5. Sexting:
While this is not common among younger children, intermediate and high school students may be enticed to transgress lines that should not be crossed. A simple mistake made in childhood might have long-term consequences. What some may perceive as a harmless flirtation may be interpreted as harassment by others. Keeping it “professional” may be difficult to explain to high students, but understanding that relationships change quickly at that age is essential. Tell them that it’s always a good idea to be cautious and not to feel tempted to cross lines that others could find offensive.
As the number of cyber threats increase, it’s important for every parent and teacher to keep up with the new safety precautions and share them with children as soon as they can. Simple precautions, like as double-checking before installing a file or software, can help protect your children’s devices, and personal data from undesirable dangers. Data security is important in the same way that cyber security is. And it is for this reason that key databases or files should constantly be backed up.