How to keep your child safe online while stuck at home during the COVID-19 outbreak
5 ways to help keep your child’s online experiences positive and safe
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If your family is stuck at home during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, it’s likely your children are spending a lot more time online. School, chats with friends and grandparents, even music lessons — so much has shifted online.
Being connected helps children and teenagers reduce the impact of this new situation and encourages them to continue with their lives. But it also presents a new set of challenges for every parent. How can you maximize all that the internet has to offer, while minimizing the potential harm? It’s not an easy balance on a normal day, let alone when facing a health crisis like COVID-19.
The research Online Safety of Children in Bangladesh surveyed 1,281 school-going Internet-using children aged 10 to 17 years from schools, colleges and Madrasahs. According to the study, 25 per cent of the children started to access the digital world below the age of 11 years. While older children may be more exposed to cyberbullying, children of all ages are at risk of exposure to harmful content, sexual exploitation, abuse and cyberbullying.
To minimize the growing risks faced by children and adolescents in an increasingly connected world, the ICT Division of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, with support from UNICEF, launched a certification course that will equip children throughout Bangladesh with the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe online.
To take the course, visit: https://safeinternet.unicefbangladesh.org/
5 ways you can help keep your children safe online
1. Keep them safe with open communication
Have an honest dialogue with your children about who they communicate with and how. Make sure they understand the value of kind and supportive interactions and that mean, discriminatory or inappropriate contact is never acceptable. If your children experience any of these, encourage them to tell you or a trusted adult immediately. Be alert if your child appears to be upset or secretive with online activities or if they are experiencing cyberbullying.
Work with your child to establish rules on how, when and where devices can be used.
2. Use technology to protect them
Check that your child’s device is running the latest software and antivirus programmes, and that privacy settings are on. Keep webcams covered when not in use. For younger children, tools such as parental controls, including safe search, can help keep online experiences positive.
Be cautious of free online educational resources. Your child should never have to provide a photo or their full name to use these resources. Remember to check the privacy settings to minimize data collection. Help your child learn to keep personal information private, especially from strangers.
3. Spend time with them online
Create opportunities for your child to have safe and positive online interactions with friends, family and you. Connecting with others is more important than ever at this moment and this can be an excellent opportunity for you to model kindness and empathy in your “virtual interactions”.
Help your child recognize and avoid misinformation and age-inappropriate content that may increase anxiety about the COVID-19 virus. Many digital resources from credible organizations like UNICEF and the World Health Organization are available for you and your child to learn about the virus together.
Spend time with your child to identify age appropriate apps, games and other online entertainment.
4. Encourage healthy online habits
Promote and monitor good behavior online and on video calls. Encourage your children to be kind and respectful to classmates, to be mindful of what clothes they wear and to avoid joining video calls from a bedroom.
Familiarize yourself with school policies and helplines to report cyberbullying or inappropriate online content.
As children spend more time online, they can be exposed to more advertising that may promote unhealthy foods, gender stereotypes or age-inappropriate materials. Help them recognize online ads and use the opportunity to explore together what is wrong with some of the negative messaging you see.
5. Let them have fun and express themselves
Spending time at home can be a great opportunity for your children to use their voices online to share their views and support those in need during this crisis.
Remember to balance online recreation with offline activities, including time outside, if possible.
UNICEF in partnership with Grameenphone and Telenor Group have developed an animated PSA with tips for online safety for children including adolescents and parents during COVID-19. The online safety tips are meant to assist parents to interact constructively with their children and guide them with online safety issues during the lockdown. The tips are focused on staying positive, creating a daily routine for children including adolescents, minimizing online risks, and encouraging family time.
Look at how to keep your children safe online during this challenging time.
