- Growing up always has its ups and downs. Growing up with as much exposure to the internet as our children do is a whole different experience. Here are some helpful tips to help your children safely navigate the internet and how to support them as they do.
- Start teaching them at an early age. When they begin showing interest in using the internet and internet enabled devices, this is your chance to begin teaching them how to use them safely. Remember, you and other members of your immediate family have the best opportunity to guide them.
- Set clear expectations of how they should behave online and how important their online reputation is (because this could come back to either help them or haunt them later in life).
- Set clear boundaries and educate them about
- The types of content that are unsuitable for them
- The consequences and dangers of cyberbullying, hate speech and harassment
- The dangers of sharing personal and even intimate information online and the legal consequences of sharing others’.
- Always be aware of what your kids are doing. One way to do this is to designate a safe and comfortable area in your house for online activity. This can help your kids feel safe because they can easily reach out but independent enough to explore the internet without feeling overly monitored.
- Try to keep an open and honest environment. Let your kids know that they can come to you about any questions and concerns about their online experience without any judgment on your part.
- Consider installing parental locks on common devices and certain websites.
- Protect your childrens’ information and teach them how to do the same
- Teach them how to set their privacy settings online and not to overshare their information.
- Ensure that all of your devices are updated with the latest in security, antivirus and antimalware software.
- Create fun learning sessions where your kids can learn general cybersecurity terms, what they mean and how to recognise them.
- Show your children where they can report their concerns online at www.ca.go.ke, writing to incidents@ke-cirt.go.ke or calling 0703042700 #HuweziTuchezaTukoCyberSMART
