Children in this era are well acquainted with technology and are exposed to it at a very tender age.
Most parents often switch on cartoon programs to distract their children so that they can eat and calm down when they are being fussy.
The cartoon distraction also applies when parents need to complete house chores or work on office projects.
This is the point where children are exposed to technology. They become intrigued by phones, remotes, televisions and other electronic gadgets.
Some parents go further and get their toddlers tablets and smartphones unaware that they are exposing them to the unforgiving internet space.
Some parents are skeptical about their young ones' safety online while others are unaware of the danger that the internet poses to the young minds.
Exposure to the internet compromises the safety of children since their innocent but curious minds are unable to comprehend what amounts to internet abuse.
This is why parents should stay involved in their children's digital world.
Below are tips that will help ensure that your child is safe in the online space.
Building trust with your child.
This gives them a chance to connect and open up about activities they engage in while online.
Children are sneaky and could be having other accounts that their parents may be unaware of.
Being free with them will help them understand and disclose situations such as meet ups with online acquaintances forehand.
A parent who is not free with their child may not be aware, for instance, that a child sex predator could be preying on their innocent child.
Hold serious discussions with your child about online safety
Teaching your child about the dangers they are exposed to in the online space will help them know what red flags to look out for.
Being aware of predators and funny sites on the internet is a skill that your child needs to have for their own safety.
Supervise your child's online activities
This includes checking their profiles and posts and setting time limits for their access to the internet.
Emphasise the importance of keeping their privacy private
Make your child understand before hand that sharing extremely personal information in form of pictures or videos to the public should be avoided.
Constantly review privacy settings and activate parental controls
Parents should pay particular attention to apps and sites that are in their children's gadgets.
Online child predators rely on applications that have the end-to-end encryption and user anonymity features to catch the attention of children and entice them without without their parents' knowledge.
Restrict access to sites and applications where your child's online activities are encrypted.
