Raising kids in the digital age isn’t easy, which is why learning these internet safety tips for kids is important. Due to the pandemic, younger children, teens, and adults are online more than ever. Keep reading to learn best practices to help keep your family safe online and learn about the online dangers that are hiding in our kids’ virtual worlds.
This post is sponsored by Bark parental controls. All opinions are my own.
Parents, it’s time to keep your kids safe online. There are several positives to using technology – face timing with relatives we haven’t seen in a while is just one, but with the pros come the cons and you never know what kids might stumble upon online. The good news is there are several tips and tools to help parents navigate this new world of technology usage.
Why is internet safety important?
The internet is used by children at an early age to play games, research homework, and interact with friends. COVID-19 has changed the way we learn. E-learning has seen rapid growth in the last few years. There is no escaping using the power of the internet for kids in the classroom.
The harsh reality is cyberspace holds many hidden dangers that can easily be stumbled upon by a click of a button. Simple search terms may result in explicit adult content. Furthermore, kids can fall prey to scams, bullying, identity thieves, and even pedophiles. The risks are enough to make anyone run far away from the Internet.
Internet safety statistics
In 2021, Bark Parental Control analyzed more than 3.4 billion messages across texts, email, YouTube, and 30+ apps and social media platforms. Read the full data from our 2021 annual report. (These findings exclude school-based accounts).
- Drugs/Alcohol – 75.35% of tweens and 93.31% of teens engaged in conversations surrounding drugs/alcohol.
- Self-harm/suicide – 43.09% of tweens and 74.61% of teens were involved in a self-harm/suicidal situation.
- Sexual content – 68.97% of tweens and 90.73% of teens encountered nudity or content of a sexual nature.
- Violence – 80.82%of tweens and 94.50% of teens expressed or experienced violent subject matter/thoughts.
- Depression – 32.11% of tweens and 56.40% of teens engaged in conversations about depression.
- Bullying – 72.09% of tweens and 85.00% of teens experienced bullying as a bully, victim, or witness.
- Predators – 9.95% of tweens and 20.54% of teens encountered predatory behaviors online.
- Disordering eating – 1.96% of tweens and 7.66% of teens engaged with or encountered content about disordered eating.
- Anxiety – 19.69% of tweens and 42.05% of teens used language about or were exposed to anxiety.
There are ways to make sure children are safe while browsing online. With preparation, open parent/child communication, and security software monitoring tools such as Bark, children can use the internet in a safe manner.
Online safety tips for parents
- Set internet usage rules and discuss an online safety plan with all family members.
- Invest in parental control software such as Bark to eliminate online threats. (Read more on this amazing tool below)
- Create tech-free zones such as cars, during meals and in bedrooms. Keep devices in common areas of the home.
- Warn your kids of online risks.
- Encourage kids to use a safe search engine like Kiddle instead of Google search. (Parents can use Bark parental controls to enforce safe search on Google, Bing, DuckDuck Go, and blocks all other search engines that don’t have a safe search feature).
- Use YouTube Kids instead of YouTube.
- Monitor what your kids post online.
- Set a time rule and limit computer use.
- Teach children about body safety and boundaries.
- Be alert to potential signs of abuse
- Take an interest in your child’s favorite content.
- Immediately report suspected online enticement or sexual exploitation of a child by contacting law enforcement, contacting the Federal Bureau of Investigation at tips.fbi.gov, or filing a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or report.cybertip.org
Internet Safety Tips for Kids
- Never share personal information like your cell phone number, social security number, personal details and school locations with online friends.
- Never post or trade personal pictures.
- Always tell an adult when a scary conversation or situation presents itself.
- Create strong passwords and do not share them with anyone other than a parent.
- Keep computers in common areas such as the living room and kitchen.
- Always be kind to others.
- Do not interact with unknown people on social media or chat rooms.
- Do not browse the internet alone without parental supervision
- Never download anything without your parents’ permission.
Teen Internet Safety Tips
- Never agree to meet someone in person.
- Only chat with people you know.
- If something uncomfortable happens online, tell a trusted adult immediately.
- Never share your username or password with anyone.
- Do not share embarrassing photos, mean comments or illegal activities. Posting is permanent, even on apps like Snapchat.
- Be aware of fake news or spams. If it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is!
- Recognize when it’s time to unplug and log off the internet. If excessive amounts of time is having a negative impact on your life, such as school and sleep, it’s time to take a break.
- Remember that social media only shows the highlight reels of a person’s life and not the whole picture. Nobody’s life is perfect. Do not compare yourself to someone’s online presence.
- Know how to block or report content, profiles and cyberbullies.
Ready for some peace of mind? Try an online protection tool like Bark!
What is Bark?
Bark is the only all-in-one online protection tool! Bark was created by parents, for parents, to offer a better, easier, and more effective way to help families create healthy digital habits. This service lets you monitor content, manage screen time, and filter websites so you can get peace of mind while your child is online. Bark is a great value for families with lots of devices and gadgets.
Bark monitors texts, email, YouTube, online games, inappropriate websites, and 30+ apps and social media networks for signs of issues like cyberbullying, sexual content, online predators, depression, suicidal ideation, threats of violence, and more. With content monitoring, you can get email and text alerts straight to your mobile device when Bark detects suspicious activities such as cyberbullying, sexual content, drug content, violence, depression, and more!
Families can also manage with their kids’ access to the internet including the ability to set bedtimes and block access to apps and websites.
How Bark works
- Connect Bark to over 30+ platforms including YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and more to monitor text messages, emails and social activity for signs of potentially dangerous content. Click here for an overview of what Bark monitors.
- Detect – Bark runs in the background in search of issues that might indicate potential dangers or inappropriate content in your child’s online world.
- Alert – Parents get alerts via email and text when Bark finds potential internet risks. Each time their phone monitoring app sends an alert, they also include information about what to do next — conversation starters, boundaries to set, and expert-recommended suggestions for handling issues.
Get started on Bark
Take the next step in protecting your kids online. It’s a choice you will not regret. Try Bark free for 7 days. There are many budget-friendly options for families to take advantage of this software:
Bark Home (one-time fee of $79)
- Plugs into your Wi-Fi router and lets you manage screen time and filter websites on gaming consoles, smart TVs, and more.
- A subscription is not required with the purchase of Bark Home.
Bark Premium – ($14 a month)
- Manage screen time
- Filter which websites and apps your kids can visit
- Keep up with kids with location alerts and check-ins
- Monitor texts, email, YouTube, and 30+ apps and platforms
- Get alerts for issues like cyberbullying, online predators, suicidal ideation, and more
Bark Jr – ($5 a month)
- Manage screen time
- Filter which websites and apps your kids can visit
- Keep up with kids with location alerts and check-ins
- Comprehensive monitoring and alerts not included.
More Valuable Internet Safety Resources
Never stop learning and talking to your kids about cyber safety. Here are more resources to navigate parenting in the digital world.
- How to prevent cyberbullying – Recent studies have shown that cyberbullying affects 70%+ of kids between the ages of 12–17.
- How to Put Restrictions on iPhone Devices, iPads, and More
- Parenting in the Tech World – a must read for all parents.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Bark Parental Controls. The opinions and text are mine.
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