Internet safety for parents: how to act with your children by age
One of the main concerns of parents is how to educate their children in responsibility and security in the use of the Internet. Families must have as much information as possible about the risks to which minors may be exposed when making unsafe employment of new technologies, so that they can reduce the number of victims among young people through three basic principles: learn, prevent and protect.
Decalogue to educate children about the use of the Internet
! Whenever possible, browse the Internet with your children, Teach them to navigate with a clear objective. Tell them they should never provide personal information on the network.
2. Select videogames to those who play your children according to their characteristics (age and content). Play with them on occasion.
3. It establishes clear rules to regulate the use of the Internet, video games and the mobile. It must be very clear, when, how much and where they use it.
4. Teach your children to make responsible use of the mobile. Make them responsible for their consumption, which should always be limited and supervised.
5. If you see fit, make use of parental control programs, to prevent them from finding inappropriate content.
6. Keep abreast of advances in new technologies, so that there is not a digital divide between your children and you.
7. Talk with your children, favors positive communication and active listening.
8. Educate them in intelligent leisure management and free time.
9. Do not forget to be consistent, and give an example in your interaction with new technologies.
10. Strive for your children to find confidence in you and the support to tell you any problem.
Surfing the Internet: educates according to your age
Each age has its own development. Therefore, it is necessary to put into practice a parental mediation by age groups to the minors when they go to use the Internet.
Between 3 and 5 years We recommend full supervision of your activity to ensure it develops safely. For this, you have to prepare an environment without an Internet connection with devices in which the contents have been previously selected; supervise their activity at all times, for which the devices must be in the central place of the house; good habits should be transferred to them as the importance of privacy; and establish standards such as the time limit.
Between 6 and 9 years old, close supervision is still necessary to ensure that the use of technology is safe. So, you have to fix parental control solutions and help them find quality content, understand the risks, think critically and teach them to trust you.
Between 10 and 13 years old they begin to know the social networks and to demand a mobile of their own. Therefore, we must continue offering controlled technological environments to minimize risks, paying special attention to smartphones, tablets and online games. Since they must already have a clear idea of the necessary guidelines for safe navigation, they must emphasize messages that help them understand that they must be respectful of others, that they must think before publishing something on social networks and be selective in your online contacts Dialogue at this stage is fundamental.
When they enter adolescence, the more complicated age, surely try to make a difference with respect to parents. It is not recommended to install parental control software without your consent, as it may generate distrust. Therefore, we must continue to guide them, to know the necessary security mechanisms, to develop a good digital reputation and to persevere in a good education in the use of technologies.
Marisol Nuevo Espín
Advice: Sothis Group
