The internet is an amazing place for children, allowing them to be creative, play games, chat with their friends and do a host of other fun activities and within this article, we will speak about how to keep your kids safe online.

On the other hand, crime and criminals also run rampant on the internet, and some of them prey on children.

How can you protect your children from these dangers? What can you do to enable your children to enjoy the internet while being safe, sensible, and respectable to others?

Check your child’s privacy settings and your internet provider’s settings. These will ensure that all your settings are set up the way you want them to be and it will keep your kids safe online.

To keep your kids safe online, use these 7 guidelines:

1. Be fair with your friends. Think of the online world as an extension of your offline world. Include your friends in any online games or chats. Being left out of these activities can be hurtful. Also, be careful of what you say, as written words are easily misinterpreted

• Important conversations, such as conflict resolution, should be kept for when you see your friends face to face

2. Be respectful to others. Respect your friends on social media. Check with your friends before you post photos of them. Be mindful of what they might feel when they see your posts. 

3. Remember your digital footprint. Whatever you post online – whether it’s text, a photo, or a funny video – will be online forever. Only post things that you would be happy for everyone to see, even yours granny.

4. Think about what you post online. Posting your opinions on social media can seem like a good idea. However, be careful about posting negative content.

Getting angry and ranting about a particular topic may make you feel happy at the time, but it may have negative consequences.

• Always remember that other people have feelings that can be hurt by your words.

5. Be careful about whom you are talking to. Talking to your friends and family online is a great way to keep in touch. Remember though, that there is always a possibility that you’re talking to a stranger. People may not be who they say they are.

• Always keep the chat on general topics and avoid anything personally.

6. Protect your identity. When you use the internet, avoid giving out your personal information. Avoid saying where you live, what school you go to, or who your parents are. Change your privacy settings on social media so that only your friends and family can view your posts.

7. Remember: it’s not real life. Avoid comparing yourself or your life to others that you see online, in social media and elsewhere. This can leave you feeling down about your own life. But you may be comparing yourself to a fairy tale.

• The photos and videos you see online are rarely a true representation of someone’s real life. They choose which images they want to post. These images make it look as though their lives are perfect, but they do not tell the whole story.

Top Tip.

Keep an Open Dialogue with your child. You can’t monitor your child’s social media activity 24/7, so maintaining a strong line of communication is important to understand what’s going on with your child online. Ask them to inform you whenever they receive messages or invites from strangers. Talk to them about the consequences of misusing social media. Ask them to tell you if someone is teasing or harassing them as those could be signs of cyber-bullying.

The internet can be a dangerous place, filled with people looking to exploit others. If you follow these tips, it will keep your kids safe online.

If you need any further tips please reach out via email or book in a complimentary call via our website The Happy Geek

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