Nowadays, digital interactions with people you have never met in person are a pretty common phenomenon. Even online dating is based on this concept. However, when your child is involved in a digital friendship, it is a whole different thing altogether.
From sexual exploitation and grooming to scams and identity theft, predatory behaviors on the internet that target youngsters have surged massively with the increased cyber activities of the younger generations. So, given the risks, it is important to keep a close eye on your child’s virtual friendships and check who’s talking to your kid online.
But keeping children physically safe is tough enough these days. Add to that the dangers of the digital space, parents certainly have a lot on their plate.
If you have a young one, too, you need not worry: In this article, we discuss how you could easily figure out whether your kids are talking to someone they shouldn’t on the internet and what you can do to ensure their safety.
Is Your Child Talking to a Stranger Online? Watch Out for These Five Signs
If you pay close attention, you can often pick up on early warning signs of an inappropriate digital friendship involving your son or daughter.
These include:
1. Increased Secrecy
Is your child being unusually sneaky about their internet activities? Perhaps they are avoiding your “friend requests” on social media or have set up a secret social profile they are keeping away from you. Or maybe you caught them hiding or lying about what they do online. All these can happen when predators convince youngsters to conceal their friendships from adults.
2. Sudden Jump in Screen Time
Bad actors who target minors may constantly allure them into conversations to build trust, foster a closer relationship, extract information, or brainwash them with extremist views. As a result, kids can spend an excessive amount of time online with their “new friends”. So, if your young one’s screen time has shot up all of a sudden, it is crucial to investigate their digital interactions.
3. Noticeable Changes in Behavior
Now, these can manifest in different ways. Let’s say a predatory adult puts pressure on their young victims to watch or share inappropriate material. This can lead to apparent behavioral changes in kids offline, including becoming reserved, anxious, or agitated. Sometimes, you may also find your child evading certain questions or getting unusually angry, especially when you ask them to keep aside their digital devices.
4. Frequent Calls and Messages
Most predators move conversations from social media, forums, and communities to more personal mediums that allow them to chat with youngsters with better privacy.
So, take more interest in who your child is conversing with if they are frequently messaging someone on WhatsApp or a similar platform or talking on the phone with friends you are unfamiliar with.
5. Unexplained Gifts
Child molesters and other predators know it is easy to manipulate young ones with gifts. This is why gifting has become common in predatory schemes that target children.
Although identifying digital gifts (like in-game rewards) can be difficult for parents, physical ones that kids get by mail are easier to spot.
What Can You Do to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet?
With the right measures in place, you can swiftly curb most online threats or address them in time to protect young ones from predators.
Here’s what to do.
Build Your Knowledge
The digital environment is evolving at a mind-blowing pace. There’s a lot parents must keep up with to make sure youngsters are safe.
This may mean learning about the dangers of the internet and how bad actors target and draw in kids on online platforms. It is just as important to familiarize yourself with apps and tools children frequently use, particularly when it comes to privacy settings and safety features.
Help Your Child Understand the Risks
When your child is able to fully grasp the kind of threats they could encounter online, they will be more willing to let go of the frivolous behaviors that endanger them on the internet.
So, for example, tell them how deceptive actors can pose as kids using fake profiles and the typical traits of shady individuals, such as asking too many personal questions and suggesting kids keep their interactions a secret.
Show Them How to Maintain Online Privacy
Make sure your youngster doesn’t reveal their personal information (like their real name, family details, birthday, school, phone number, and where they live) to strangers they meet on the internet. This includes photos, videos, and what they post on social media, too.
Also, help them navigate privacy and security settings on online platforms and educate them about essential digital security practices, such as keeping passwords safe.
Teach Them How to Handle Tricky Situations
Whenever your child feels unsafe, unsure, or anxious, it is absolutely vital that they come to you for advice.
But teaching them how to respond to unexpected situations is just as important. For example, let them know it is ok to say “no”, disengage from a conversation, or block a person if they feel uncomfortable with someone they are interacting with on the internet.
Take Digital Precautions
Parental control apps are great for tracking your child’s digital activities, determining their physical whereabouts, and even controlling how they use their screen time.
Apart from these apps, there are a variety of tools available to create a safe environment for your kid, both digitally and physically. Platforms like Google and YouTube, for instance, can filter out inappropriate content and websites. And people search engines could dig up information about strangers using their name, phone number, or email.
And Finally…
With younger kids, setting boundaries and tracking their online interactions is hardly an issue: You can limit their screen time, review their search history, check which sites they visit, screen their social media activities, or keep a tab on phone calls and messages.
But this could seem invasive once they reach a certain age. This is why providing children with the knowledge and skills to navigate the internet securely on their own is a better option for their long-term safety.
And remember, youngsters who are isolated in real life have a higher chance of seeking virtual friendships with strangers. So, regardless of a child’s age, parents must maintain an ongoing dialogue by creating a safe space for kids to voice their thoughts and needs without feeling judged.