With today’s increase in distance education, we must teach our young children about internet safety by engaging them with effective teaching strategies. We also need to use fascinating methods to educate our young children about the internet. However, no one instructed us about Internet safety when we were children. As adults, we never received instruction on safe surfing. We simply learned how new technologies emerged. Today’s climate compels us to use the Internet with our children from an early age.
Although it was not preferred, now students have to take online lectures to continue their education, it’s all due to the changing scenarios. As a result of the increased demand for e-learning, young pupils are being compelled to use the Internet. It is difficult to teach Internet safety in schools at the elementary level because of the latest changing technology. It’s quite volatile, today the gadget you use may become obsolete next week, it’s really difficult to chase technological advancement. But still, with the software, we can counter the difficulties and we can secure network IP with the advanced routers.
The Internet means connectivity, reliability, ease, and knowledge but on the other hand, it can be dangerous due to extreme risks involved in surfing cyberspace without taking the proper parameters. This post inspects why it’s so vital to inculcate Internet safety education in young children and how we can do it. As a connected community, the teachers and parents have never had to deal with anything like this before. Here we will discuss how to educate children of various ages about Internet safety which will give them the courage to combat any perilous situation they can come across.
Teaching Strategies to Educate Youngsters about Internet Safety
Formulate teaching strategies that complement the Grade of student
A young first-grader requires a distinct teaching strategy than an older sixth-grader. It’s not necessary to overstimulate a younger kid, and it’s appropriate to ask questions of older children to gauge their current level of comprehension. Never make assumptions about what your child knows or doesn’t know. The objective is to encourage your child to grasp that thrown knowledge and try to implement it accordingly.
Create Context to Real-World Examples
Tell them you’re using what they know about strangers and potential hazards in public to convey it to an online scenario. You should encourage your kid to seek out a trustworthy adult if something doesn’t seem correct in a public place. Also, emphasize the importance of seeking you first for this or if not possible seek someone whom they consider as a reliable person.
Justify Teacher Student Relation with Faith in your Abilities
You have expertise in the real world, so you know how to escort your children there. You’ve had at least some exposure on the Internet as well. Always prepare yourself for any conversations you’ll need to have with your student. To teach elementary school kids about Internet safety, don’t feel compelled to be an expert; all you need to know about the technology, use of hardware and software, and above all the real-world dangers that they can come across.
Parental Responsibilities towards Educating Youngsters about Internet Safety
More critical than blocking offensive material is teaching children good online conduct and monitoring them to gauge net usage.
- Stay vigilant on the established set of rules by the family.
- Take your child’s complaint about an unpleasant online encounter seriously to educate your children about how to use the internet safely, spend some quality time with them on it.
- Educate them not to post their photographs on social media.
- Make sure the computer is in an accessible location, such as a living room or family room, where you can watch it and regulate it. Keep track of how much time you spend on your cell phone or tablet.
- Teach them not to provide personal information, such as a home address or phone number.
- Check whether your child’s school, after-school facility, friends’ homes, or anywhere else kids may use a computer without parental supervision offers any online security.
- Tell them not to use your real credentials for login.
- Set up and maintain a list of websites that kids enjoy visiting.
- Never, under any circumstances, agree to meet in person with someone you’ve met on the internet without your parent’s consent and/or supervision.
- Teach them not to react to a mean email, social media post, or text message.
- Tell a parent or someone else with authority about any disturbing or hurtful communication.
Potential Warnings Scenarios
Keep an eye out for cautioning signals that your child is being embattled by an internet predator. These are some of the possible indicators:
- Your kid’s abrupt booting of the computer when you walk into the room is highly unusual.
- Relinquishing family life, and a lack of confidence using the internet
- When the youngster spends longer hours online, particularly at night.
- Unwanted pieces of stuff coming to your place as gifts.
- Unidentified persons trying to contact your phone.
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a federal law that protects children under the age of 13 when they’re using the internet. It seeks to prevent anyone from obtaining a child’s personal information without permission from a parent first.
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) forbids websites from collecting or using a child’s personal information, such as a name, address, phone number, or Social Security number, without first obtaining parental consent. The law also bans sites from asking children to give them more personal information than is required to play a game or participate in a
Internet Security Tools
While utilizing internet technologies, you may keep your children from pollutants while also allowing them to view mature material. Many Internet service providers (ISPs) provide parental controls. You may also get software that allows you to block access to websites and prevent personal information from being shared online. Other apps can track and analyze internet usage.
Conclusion
It is to be considered that the way the internet world is getting worse day by day concerning the expanding negativities that can be destructive for any human whether one is a youngster or an adult. It’s a collective responsibility of the community to stay as a watchdog against the specified issues. Teachers and parents must be vigilant, monitoring the child every moment rather than accepting the adversities as norms. Everyone must avail the opportunity to use tools which can make us circumvent the negativities and to educate children which will help us to take them to the extent where they become responsible and can understand what is right and what is wrong for them.