How to monitor your child on the Internet: 6 tips for parents

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Ways to strike a balance between spying and not giving a damn.

1. Teach Internet Safety Rules

The child should become familiar with the rules of behavior on the Internet as soon as he learns to open the browser. Tell him that the network can be robbed, offend and intimidated, as well as harm a smartphone or computer. However, if you follow simple rules, this can be avoided. Here are the main ones:

• You cannot buy anything, including in-app purchases.
• You cannot download music, games, applications, books and other content from unverified sites.
• You cannot communicate with strangers in instant messaging programs and on social networks. Even with children: a boy or a girl can easily turn out to be a grown man.
• You can not disclose personal information: home address and telephone number, income level of parents, number of the school in which you study.
• You cannot upload too frank pictures and indicate geolocation if the photo was taken in an apartment or on a schoolyard.

Learning games will help you get to know the rules of online behavior. So, it is dedicated to safe behavior on the Internet - the rules for communicating with cyberbullers. Both games are designed for teenagers from 12 years old, and younger children can play them with the participation of parents or teachers.

Liya Sharova is an Internet security expert, founder of the Stop Threat security school.

The longer parents can help their child in a friendly way to master the Internet space, including setting up pages on social networks, posting photos, updating antiviruses and playing games, the better.

2. Encourage stories about questionable information

According to the Regional Public Information Technology Center, one in five children aged 12-13 does not turn to anyone for help in a cyberbullying case. And only 17% tell their parents about it.

In order for the child to talk about friends, offenders, offers to go somewhere, indecent photos or pictures sent by strangers, parents need to establish friendly contact with him. The child will be happy to share any information only on condition that he will not be criticized.

Children hide information from their parents, because they believe that nothing but tantrums, bans on the Internet and scandals, they will not have to expect from their parents. Only calm friendly communication will allow you to protect your child from real trouble in time.

Leah Sharova.

Tell your child that if there is a problem on the Internet, he can call the service at 8 800 25-000-15. Operators provide psychological and informational support on weekdays from 9.00 to 18.00 Moscow time.

3. Allow the use of gadgets only in the common room

There is no need to stand above the soul. Place the child where you can see the screen of the gadget from which he is viewing information. If he protests, explain that it is for his own safety.

4. Install control on available devices

According to the US Center for Cybersecurity and Education, 62% of children aged 9-15 visit adult sites after finding them in a search, 21% watch adult videos, 31% lie to sites about their age, and 20% - deliberately looking for adult information.

You will not be able to reach all the gadgets from which the child goes online. However, it is in your power to secure those at home. For this:

• Install an antivirus.
• Install parental control software.
• Turn on Safe Search in your browser.
• Install kids browsers. For example, “or.
• Allow only sites for children to use. For example, sites with the domain "".
• Install apps adapted for children. For example, or ivi.ru.

It is almost impossible to protect a child from adult information. Children bypass parental prohibitions and restrictions, skillfully deceiving adults. All of them watch YouTube during school breaks and already in the third or fourth grade know about pornography and drugs.

Leah Sharova.

5. Make friends on social networks

Social media can help you quickly learn about your child's interests and concerns and keep in touch with them. Add him as a friend, exchange links, put likes. But in no case criticize the pages of friends or his own, do not overwhelm with comments. After all, if the child becomes uncomfortable, he will open a second account, which you will no longer know about.

It is important to be friends with the child, including online, in order to be aware of everything that he learns. Watch together his favorite bloggers on YouTube and, more importantly, know who he is friends and communicates with.

Leah Sharova.

6. Do not meddle in correspondence without asking

An innocent desire to read a child's correspondence violates his right to privacy and secrets. Show respect and hold back. If you cannot cope with the urge to control everything, seek the advice of a therapist. After all, in order to know what is happening in the life of a child, you need to build a trusting relationship with him.

Yana Fedulova is a candidate of psychological sciences, psychologist.

You can not go into the correspondence of a child without his permission. This can greatly reduce children's trust in their parents. The consequences of this can be even more devastating than what the parents learned from the correspondence.

And if you still did not restrain yourself and spied on, then do not pay attention to profanity and rudeness. The only important thing here is what is dangerous: discussion of fights, proposal of drugs, invitations from adult strangers, intimate photographs. And if you find any of this in the correspondence, then gather your will into a fist, ask for forgiveness for violating the boundaries and explain to the child what is threatening him. Moreover, it is very important to maintain an atmosphere of goodwill, no matter how difficult it may be.