Six essential tips parents need to follow if your kids are online – not doing so could put them at risk, expert says

FROM screentime battles to monitoring social media, navigating parenting in the modern world can be difficult.

Safeguarding experts have shared the top tips for ensuring your child’s safety while online.

Smartphones are a common place item in today’s society, with most adults and majority of teens owning one.

However, the rise in poularity of social media and the increased access to technology has left parents tackling new issues.

One such issue is how to ensure online safety for the younger generation.

Ofcom research found that by the age of 17, 100% of young people in Britain own a smartphone.

The Government’s Online Safety Data Iniative found that more than 80% of children aged 12-15 have had potentially harmful experiences online.

This can include anything from bullying on social media to grooming and exploitation.

A computer student in Northern Ireland was recently found to have tricked around 70 children into sending him initimate photos, which he then used to exploit them.

Safeguarding experts from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children shared their expertise on how to protect your child online.

First, they recommend chatting to your child about their online habits, including the sites they like to visit and their favourite apps.

“Listen to what they have to say and show an interest. They could give you a demo of their favourite app or show you their favourite YouTube or TikTok account,” the expert said.

The safeguarding pros pointed out that your children likely have additional information to teach you about the online world.

“This will also give you an opportunity to chat about any safety settings they might already have in place,” they explained.

According to the experts, it’s vital for parents to speak to their children about who they are chatting to online.

While most parents know to monitor social media and messaging apps, some may not be aware of the potential dangers of gaming apps.

Online chatrooms are available in most games and can provide easy access for predators, as often messaging is open to all users.

As well as talking to your child about these dangers, the experts recommend using settings to help limit who can contact them.

“Remind your child that they shouldn’t share personal information with people they don’t know online,” they advised.

They also emphasised the importance of creating open communication with your child, letting them know they can approach you or another trusted adult with anything uncomfortable.

Parents can also help manage what their child sees online using parental controls and privacy settings.

According to the experts, you should revise your child’s automatic device settings, inlcuding location sharing, screen time and in-app purchases.

PRIVACY

“Most tech and gaming companies have dedicated pages to support with setting these up,” they said.

As well as managing your child’s devices, parents should also look into individual apps or games.

“[There are] in-app tools that can help to keep your child’s account private and manage who they’re talking to,” the safeguarding experts explained.

“You can normally find information on these in account settings or directly on the platform’s website.”

Parents can also contact their mobile or broadband providers for help managing browsing access.

This helps to stop your child from visiting inappropriate sites or downloading apps that aren’t suitable.