Technology can be brilliant. It can also be a scary place if you don’t know how to navigate it properly. Most parents give their children some screen time, but not every parent carefully monitors what their child is doing.
There are a number of ways that unmonitored gaming can cause trouble for your child.
When your child strays to a game they shouldn’t be playing, the violence and inappropriate words can be something that they can’t process and mimic. As adults, you aren’t likely to see violence and then copy it because you have a deeper understanding of what is right and wrong. Children are still learning, and they may mimic aggressive behavior.
Some free games and apps ask for a little bit too much information. Your child might not be able to differentiate between what is acceptable and what isn’t. There have been occasions where children have managed to purchase hundreds of dollars and pounds worth of in-game things.
Predators are one of the most problematic issues online. And, they do take the opportunity to talk to many children on games and apps. They will pretend to be the same age as your child and might look innocent enough. Monitoring your child as they play games might seem boring or a little excessive, but it can protect them.
How to help your kids be safe online using tablets and other technology.
Our children are growing up in a digital age. Bank accounts, taxes, learning online, mortgage payments, and more are all done. This means that children do need to have internet skills, and it is up to parents to implement the right safety measures at home; as well as be up to date with all of the best practices for online usage for children.
There are some simple-to-implement safety protocols that you can give your children.
Identity
A digital identity is how we create and use our online ID. It is important that children understand the real-world impact of the decisions that they make. And how that can have a long-term impact on other people and ourselves.
Literacy
The digital literacy skill is when children and you assess their content creation, sharing, and evaluating information. As adults, we are more easily able to differentiate between fake news, opinion, and real news. Children are more likely to believe what they see online with less convincing. Learning how to find factual information is part of being safe online.
Rights
Teaching children about their online rights can keep them safe online. Children should understand that sharing too much information can be a risk for them. Encourage children to learn to read the terms and conditions of games and how much information they are giving away to companies.
Security
We know that we shouldn’t share our PIN numbers and our addresses with people. However, children might not fully grasp what they need to keep secret and what they don’t. Every year there are more sophisticated phishing scams and viruses in-app, free download games, and in general.
You can teach your children to create strong passwords and how to prepare for potential security threats.
Cybercriminals employ more sophisticated measures each year. Children who aren’t shown how to avoid these types of occurrences might have difficulty protecting their identity, and location, and sorting false information from trustworthy information.
Communication
We have less to limit us online, and that can be a problem for many children. Online bullying is a crime, but not only that, what we do online and our digital footprint can be easily found and used. Learning how to communicate online is an important part of online safety.
Children are growing up with more access to technology and the online world than many adults did. As well as being able to use a computer to the best of their ability.
Tablet Usage Statics for Children
According to Statistica, there is an increased rate of children owning their own tablets. Common Sense Media reports that 98% of children under the age of 8 have access to tablets and other mobile devices. And of that, in 2017, 42% had their own tablet.
3 iPad Parental Contro Apps to Monitor Your Child’s Internet Activity
Understanding how your children spend their time online and allowing access to apps and websites you know are safe can give you peace of mind. This will help both you and your children use the internet in a way that makes you and them feel safe.
Apple has an in-built ScreenTime app for iOS that can filter and restrict iPad usage. The in-built parental control for the iPad app allows limiting screen time, blocking inappropriate apps, and restricting web usage. Parent Controls are one of the first lines of support to help you manage your children’s online time. You can also get a weekly ScreenTime report that can let you see where children have spent their online time.
2. Family Orbit
As a monitoring software, Family Orbit can keep track of iMessage, FaceTime calls, web history, and location history of the target device. It can also monitor the photos and videos taken from the iPad camera.
3. TeenOrbit
Monitor the iPad using iCloud with TeenOrbit. Simply provide your child’s Apple ID credentials, and TeenOrbit will monitor the iOS usage without the need to install an app on the child’s phone by retrieving the logs directly from iCloud.
Children are growing up in a world there is increased use of mobile technology, specifically on a tablet like the iPad. It is important that parents understand how to keep their children safe and that they utilize the technology and apps installed already on their iPad and other apps that can help support their safety goals. Using technology in a safe and practical way is the goal so that children can navigate the internet as they grow up with understanding and integrity.
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