Parents Urged to Protect Children from Online Threats Using These Simple Steps

Article courtesy of Chicks Gold.

According to Ofcom, around 32% of children aged five to seven access social media without an adult present
Setting up parental controls on the Wi-Fi network, gaming platforms, and social media can help keep your children safe online
Girls aged eight to 17 are more likely to experience hateful and abusive interactions compared to boys of the same age

Gaming expert Al Alof at Chicks Gold, a video game asset marketplace, has shared their top tips on keeping children safe when using the internet or social media.

With around 54.8 million people in the UK and 253 million in the US active on social media, it seems as though the majority of us are using social media to share our lives and connect with others. With so many young children given access to the internet, it is important to protect them from the dangers of the online world.

Potential dangers

Without restricting your child’s access to the internet, they may be exposed to corners of the internet that can be potentially damaging and harmful.

Chat apps such as WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Facebook Messenger allow your children to keep in touch with friends and family, but these apps also pose a risk to your child’s safety. Children may be added to chat groups that contain inappropriate or harmful content, and their live location may be accessible to whoever they are chatting with.

Messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Snapchat allow users to send disappearing messages, which are messages that are deleted once they have been viewed or after a certain amount of time. This function gives users a false sense of security, believing that once the content has been deleted, it will never be seen again.

This is incorrect as the recipient could save an image or video. Disappearing messages also make it harder for someone to report inappropriate or abusive content, as it cannot be seen again.

Gaming chats on platforms such as Xbox or PlayStation can also pose a risk, especially when gaming with strangers from all over the world. Recent investigations have revealed seemingly child-friendly gaming such as Roblox poses risks from predators, as some chats have allowed players to chat with whomever without age verification.

Social media is also a great way to stay connected with friends and family, but excessive or unrestricted use can be damaging to your child’s mental health and safety.

According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2023, 19.2% of children exchanged messages with someone online who they had never met in person before. Accepting messages from strangers can be dangerous for many reasons. Similarly to messaging apps, children can send and receive inappropriate messages or images or share their location. Any online platform or app that allows users to communicate with others increases the risk of cyberbullying, with some platforms allowing anonymity.

Social media presents idealized images of beauty and over-curated insights into someone’s life, this can lead to children and teenagers comparing themselves to the images they see on social media, which ultimately affects their confidence and body image.

How to protect children from the dangers of the internet

Talk to your children about online safety – It is important to keep an open and consistent conversation going about the dangers of the internet and social media. The conversations you have with your children will depend on their age and what is appropriate for them. Using language they will understand will make it easier for them to be open and honest with you. For teenagers, they may find certain topics embarrassing and will be less likely to open up to you. If so, continue to check up on them regularly. If they decide to open up to you about an issue, stay calm, balanced, and non-judgmental. Reacting emotionally way can make your child feel more anxious or embarrassed about what they have shared.

Parental controls – Parents and guardians have the right to limit what their children are being exposed to. Parental controls can determine what time of the day children can use the WiFi, phone, tablet, game console, or access individual apps. Parents and guardians can completely block access to apps if they are inappropriate for children and manage the overall content that can be seen. Remember to set strong passwords when setting up parental controls as your child may be able to guess and access inappropriate content.

Monitor online activity – Encourage children to use their tablets or phones in the same room as you, this way you can monitor what they are doing and how long they are spending on devices.

Use safety apps – Apps such as Norton Family and Google Family Link allow you to easily set parental controls and limit what can be seen when using search engines such as Google.

Report – There are various dangers on the internet, and these can be scary to both parents/guardians and children. If you feel as though your child has come across upsetting or inappropriate content or has been abused or groomed online it is important to report this to the appropriate authorities.

Where to report

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP) is part of the National Crime Agency and helps protect children against abuse and grooming.
Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) deal with indecent and illegal images, they have a reporting page which allows the IWF to review and take down the images if needed.
Reporting directly on the platform. All social media platforms have a feature where you can report users or post. The social media platform can then review content and remove it.
If you believe the content your child has accessed has connections to terrorism or extremist views, then you should report this immediately to the police or the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit.
Charities such as NSPCC and Childline in the UK and Childhelp in the US, have helplines and resources to support your child if facing cyberbullying or abuse online.
Raising your concerns with your child’s school to highlight the issues children are facing. The school can then discuss internet safety with students.