{"id":21319,"date":"2022-09-18T21:46:36","date_gmt":"2022-09-19T04:46:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/?p=21319"},"modified":"2024-01-25T02:52:16","modified_gmt":"2024-01-25T10:52:16","slug":"internet-safety-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/internet-safety-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"The Full Guide to Internet Safety for Kids \u2014 Everything You Need to Keep Them Safe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Raising kids is tricky to say the least, but it\u2019s even more difficult with the rise of social media and the internet. Pew Research Center research shows that 66% of US parents agree technology and online media makes parenting a lot harder <\/strong>than 20 years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not surprising. The World Wide Web opens a whole array of risks and dangers<\/strong> for your child \u2013 from pornography and violence to online pedophiles and many more. But since it all happens online, it\u2019s significantly more difficult to protect your child from them. Luckily, it\u2019s not impossible.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To tackle online threats head on, you need to know where they start, how they work, and how to respond to them<\/strong>. Our full guide to internet safety for kids does just that \u2014 and a little bit more. Because why should you check multiple sites to get all the info? We\u2019ve provided everything you need to know<\/strong> right here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a rush? Find the tips you need:<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
<\/a>
  • What to Do if Your Kids Come Across Explicit Content<\/a>
    <\/a><\/li>
  • How to Help if Your Child Experienced Cyberbullying
    <\/a>    <\/a><\/li>
  • Bonus Round: What You Can Do if Your Child Becomes a Bully
    <\/a>    <\/a><\/li>
  • How You Can Help When Your Child is a Target of Online Predators
    <\/a>    <\/a><\/li>
  • What to Do If Your Child Exposes Personal Details
    <\/a>    <\/a><\/li>
  • Steps to Protect Your Child After They Clicked on a Phishing Link
    <\/a>    <\/a><\/li>
  • How You Can Guide Your Kids Through Internet Addiction
    <\/a>    <\/a><\/li>
  • What You Should Do If Your Children Participate in Content Piracy<\/a><\/li><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    PSA:<\/strong> While our advice is grounded in extensive research, it doesn\u2019t represent or replace the guidance from a professional child psychologist.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Main Online Risks For Children and Teens<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Access to Inappropriate or Explicit Content<\/h3>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Inappropriate or explicit content includes porn, gambling sites, unsupervised chat rooms, violence, and misinformation that encourages dangerous behaviors, like crime. These can have long-lasting effects on an easily-influenced young audience<\/strong>, especially if they develop worrying habits or coping mechanisms such as self-harm.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Since most websites<\/strong> don\u2019t impose strict age restrictions<\/strong>, your kids are at risk of coming across disturbing content all the time. But even websites with existing warnings like Twitch or YouTube make the blocks bypassable. All it takes is switching your birth year or clicking a \u201cSee Anyway\u201d button. Some cyberpunks submit explicit content on child platforms<\/strong>, disguising it as a Peppa Pig episode or something similar to get kids to click it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Research backs this with worrying statistics. According to Psychology Today, 68.4% of tweens and teens have seen inappropriate content while browsing the web<\/strong>. Regardless of whether your child searches for it or comes across it by accident, exposure to explicit images and videos may lead to trauma.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cyberbullying<\/h3>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Cyberbullying describes any instance of mean, aggressive, threatening, or manipulative activity<\/strong> carried out against another person online. It can take many forms, including:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udea9 Rumors that aim to defame your child<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udea9 Manipulation and extortion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udea9 Manipulation and extortion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udea9 Threats<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udea9 Stalking<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udea9 Identity theft<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udea9 Sharing private secrets and vulnerable information<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udea9 Rejection from online groups<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Perpetrators are usually the same age as your child or slightly older. That\u2019s not to say it can\u2019t be done by anyone. However, when cyberbullying is carried out by an adult, it\u2019s called cyberharassment <\/strong>or cyberstalking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Similar to bullying, cyberbullying causes significant distress and mental health implications<\/strong>, but usually much quicker than in real life. Online comments reach a wider audience than at school or playground, spreading gossip or untruthful information to everyone who\u2019s looking. Within seconds, hundreds of people can see posts, making it much harder to stop too. Even if you delete it, the damage is already done.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Online Predators<\/h3>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Ever since adults realized they can hide behind a screen to catfish children and exploit them for sexual or abusive favors<\/strong>, online predators became a thing. They often reside on platforms popular among young people, like social media and chat rooms. Online predators create seemingly innocent profiles and slowly build your kid\u2019s trust through regular conversation. From there, they usually encourage children to send obscene photos or videos, or even organize face-to-face meetings.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The FBI estimates around 500,000 online predators are active every day. Even though 12 to 15-year-olds make up 50% of sexual exploitation victims, any child with access to the internet is at risk \u2014 this includes elementary pupils and younger kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Posting Personal Identifiable Information (PII)<\/h3>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Anything you share online stays there forever \u2014 even if you delete it from your account. However, children don\u2019t often understand that. Studies show that 1 in 4 kids put their full name, address, passwords, and more on forums and social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Oversharing online gives online predators, cyberbullies, and hackers the information they need to put your child in danger<\/strong>. For example, an embarrassing photo of your kid could become the source of bullying at school. Sharing personal details like a home address gives predators the chance to stalk children offline. You get the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Falling for Phishing and Other Scams<\/h3>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    The chances of seeing at least once phishing message per week are high. These messages are everywhere: they spread through email, texts, phone calls, and even pop-up ads, enticing you to open a malicious link or attachment. Kids are also the target of phishing scams \u2013 20-25% of underage online users <\/strong>report clicking a phishing message. While they may not fall for the \u201cyou\u2019ve won $1 million\u201d scam, they might use a link that promises free games, toys, or rare in-game items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How do scammers know who to target? Well, it\u2019s pretty effortless. One look at the information your child shares makes it fairly easy to determine their age and interests, allowing bad actors to really personalize fake messages. However, you can also find generalized phishing scams on sites with free online games where microtransactions are necessary to progress.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Internet Addiction<\/h3>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    The internet is fun to use \u2014 it\u2019s no secret. Kids get an instant happiness boost by watching their favorite shows on YouTube or playing games with friends. However, problems arise when they use too much of it. According to Kaspersky, a quarter of surveyed parents recognize internet addiction as a worrying online threat. Yet, kids spend an average of 44.5 hours online every week, with 23% reporting an addiction to games<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The recommended screen time for 2-5-year-olds is a maximum of an hour (younger children shouldn\u2019t be online at all). This then increases to 2 hours a day for children up to 17 years of age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Too much time online can lead to serious physical and mental issues<\/strong>, including obesity, depression, sleep problems, and anxiety. It may also hinder development of social skills, particularly if your child doesn\u2019t play online multiplayer games where they\u2019re forced to communicate with others.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Content Piracy<\/h3>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Copyrighted material is very easy to find on torrenting sites, and downloading it is illegal. Participating in unlawful sharing of such files, be that music, films, TV shows, games, or software, is called piracy.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even in their teens, not many children understand the consequences that come with pirating. In many cases, you\u2019ll receive a warning letter from your internet provider to tell you what exactly your child downloaded. Depending on your jurisdiction, a repeated offense may result in hefty fines that you\u2019ll have to pay out of your own pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n