What is Youth safety?
So, you’re a parent. You already have enough on your plate without having to worry about what your child is doing online. But that’s what we do today, right? We throw our children into the world and hope for the best. The only way to make sure they are safe is if we take some precautions.
Online Youth Awareness And Safety are a subset of internet safety that deals with children’s issues, computers, tablets, and smartphones. It includes cyberbullying, sexting, stalking, and how to block unwanted contact on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, for example.
Some people have suggested what they call “digital literacy” should be taught in schools to help young people protect themselves from risks online, including those listed above. One concern about this idea is that it may give parents false confidence when there are many other things they can do right now at home with little effort!
It seems sensible to teach children about their digital life and talk with them frankly and openly.
-Talk with your child before ever letting them use a social media site;
-Monitor who they’re talking to (i.e., making sure no one is asking for personal information because this should never happen);
-Talk with your child about being bullied online and how best to deal with it if or when this happens;
-Think of parental controls on social media like Facebook or Twitter.
Additionally, I would recommend having open conversations where you can talk openly without worrying what someone might think and saying in person rather than over text messages so that individuals are not misunderstood.
-Talk with your child before ever letting them use a social media site;
-Monitor who they’re talking to (i.e., making sure no one is asking for personal information because this should never happen)
-Think of parental controls on social media like Facebook or Twitter. Additionally, I would recommend having open conversations where you can talk openly without worrying what someone might think and saying in person rather than over text messages so that individuals are not misunderstood.
Additionally, I would recommend having open conversations where you can talk openly without worrying what someone might think and then steering the conversation to be about their friend’s or sibling’s social media activity.
I believe the key to keeping our youth safe online is through awareness and safety precautions from parents and guardians alike! As an adult, I need to take into consideration my own children when browsing the internet.
-Educating and talking to them about how they should use the internet;
-Keeping screens in open spaces such as family rooms or living areas so that it is not private time, but rather shared space for all members of the household;
-Monitoring their activity by checking social media with them on occasion (i.e., making sure no one is asking for personal information because this should never happen);
-Have discussions about inappropriate content;
Looking at a child’s phone is not going to make them feel loved, respected, and heard – it will likely just have the opposite effect;
-Discussing how they are feeling in general concerning what might be happening online as well as offline;
Ensure that you know who your child is communicating with by checking their friend’s list on various sites such as Facebook. You can also use this time to talk about whether any of those people may seem unsafe for communication purposes (i.e., talking inappropriately, making suggestive comments);
-Find out where your children spend most of their time while using electronics, so there are fewer chances of them being “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
This includes on the computer, watching TV, talking on their cell phone;
-Monitor what your children are doing and discussing online. Make sure they “audit” themselves to be aware of what is happening in real-time by taking note of how many times a day they use social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter (i.e., do not forget about Instagram!);
-Discuss the appropriate behaviors that happen offline versus those that can only happen when someone has access to an internet connection. The more you discuss these topics together, the less likely it will seem like something shameful for either party;
-Limit screen time: encourage kids to go outside and play or read books instead of spending hours every night sitting in front of a screen;
-Consider using social media in moderation. Do not take away their cell phone or stop them from posting on Facebook.
Still, by having some guidelines for how much time they can spend on each site and what types of things are appropriate to post, you will be helping your children develop healthy relationships with the technology that surrounds them every day.
Statistics show that by the age of 18, most children will have been exposed to inappropriate content online.
It is important for parents and educators alike to teach kids about internet safety at an early age so they can navigate these situations as they arise in their lives.
If you are looking for information on how to reduce your child’s risk of exposure, check out “Online Youth Awareness And Safety” or contact us if we can help with a specific question!