{"id":7878,"date":"2017-11-02T15:32:36","date_gmt":"2017-11-02T21:32:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/magazine-articles\/expert-shares-3-more-ways-to-keep-your-children-safe-online-part-ii"},"modified":"2023-02-09T10:20:15","modified_gmt":"2023-02-09T17:20:15","slug":"expert-shares-3-more-ways-to-keep-your-children-safe-online-part-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/uncategorized\/expert-shares-3-more-ways-to-keep-your-children-safe-online-part-ii","title":{"rendered":"Expert Shares 3 More Ways To Keep Your Children Safe Online [Part II]"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"contentsContainer\">\n<div id=\"contents\">\n<p id=\"E195\" class=\"qowt-stl-Heading1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44054\" src=\"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Optimized-mikayla-mallek-219946-min.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"E198\"><span id=\"E199\">You may have read my article from last week titled \u201c3 Key Ways To Keep Your Children Safe Online\u201d. If you haven\u2019t read that one yet you can <\/span><a id=\"E200\" contenteditable=\"false\" href=\"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/internet-safety\/expert-shares-3-key-ways-to-keep-your-children-safe-online\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span id=\"E201\" class=\"qowt-stl-Hyperlink\">read it here<\/span><\/a><span id=\"E202\">. In that article, I had planned to list ten ways you can keep your children safe online but only discussed three before running out of space &#8211; oops! So we decided to turn this into a series of three emails so you can get the detail you need to make a difference. Welcome to part two for three more ways you can keep your children safe online.<\/span><\/p>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: small;\"><span style=\"color: #444444; font-family: Consolas; font-size: small;\"><aside class=\"sos-advertisement sos-feature-ad\">\r\n\t\t                <h3>Our Sponsors<\/h3>\r\n\t\t                <small><em>(This article is continued below)<\/em><\/small>\r\n\t\t                <p class=\"sos-advertisement-information\"><\/p>\r\n\t\t              <\/aside><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"E204\" class=\"qowt-li-0_0 qowt-list qowt-stl-Heading2\"><span id=\"E205\">1: Open a Joint Social Media Account And Learn Together<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"E207\"><span id=\"E208\">One of the key concerns with social media is that despite the minimum age requirement of 13 on most platforms (Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat etc), most children aren\u2019t concerned about their age when they open up a social media account. In fact, when Mediasmart.ca conducted a <\/span><a id=\"E209\" contenteditable=\"false\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.thirdparent.com\/canadian-study-reveals-dicey-teen-social-media-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span id=\"E210\" class=\"qowt-stl-Hyperlink\">study in 2014<\/span><\/a><span id=\"E211\"> they found these concerning statistics in relation to youth on social media in Canada:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li id=\"E213\" class=\"qowt-li-2_0 qowt-list\"><span id=\"E214\" class=\"qowt-font5-HelveticaNeue\">Among students in grades 4 \u2013 6, 32% have a Facebook account and 16% have a Twitter account<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"qowt-li-2_0 qowt-list\">18% of 4th-grade<span id=\"E217\" class=\"qowt-font5-HelveticaNeue\"><\/span><span id=\"E218\" class=\"qowt-font5-HelveticaNeue\"> students post to social media at least weekly<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"qowt-li-2_0 qowt-list\">28% of 5th-grade<span id=\"E221\" class=\"qowt-font5-HelveticaNeue\"><\/span><span id=\"E222\" class=\"qowt-font5-HelveticaNeue\"> students post to social media at least weekly<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"qowt-li-2_0 qowt-list\">37% of 6th-grade<span id=\"E225\" class=\"qowt-font5-HelveticaNeue\"><\/span><span id=\"E226\" class=\"qowt-font5-HelveticaNeue\"> students post to social media at least weekly<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"qowt-li-2_0 qowt-list\">48% of students have lied about their age in order to join social networks<\/li>\n<li class=\"qowt-li-2_0 qowt-list\">90% of students don\u2019t \u201cbelieve\u201d that strangers \u201cshould\u201d have access to their social media, but only 50% have used privacy settings to block strangers<\/li>\n<li class=\"qowt-li-2_0 qowt-list\">68% of students believe that if a social network has a privacy policy, that means \u201cthey will not share my personal information with anyone\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"E234\"><span id=\"E235\">I\u2019d be most surprised if these percentages weren\u2019t much higher again today. <\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"E237\" class=\"qowt-stl-Heading3\"><span id=\"E238\">What\u2019s The Big Deal With Young People On Social Media?<\/span><\/h4>\n<p id=\"E240\"><span id=\"E241\">When kids open their first social media account at such a young age, sometimes with help from their parents but often without their parents\u2019 knowledge, they are not mentally or emotionally prepared for what will happen there. <\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E243\"><span id=\"E244\">The minimum age requirements are there for a reason, being to protect the privacy of young children and give their minds a chance to develop <\/span><span id=\"E245\">a little more <\/span><span id=\"E246\">before entering into what can be a scary place for some. When children under thirteen lie about their age in order to use social media they waive their right to privacy and start playing a game <\/span><span id=\"E247\">without<\/span><span id=\"E248\"> knowing or understanding the rules. Consequently, the chances of something going wrong are very high.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"E250\" class=\"qowt-stl-Heading3\"><span id=\"E251\">How You Can Work With Your Child<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span id=\"E254\">The best way to help your child start off safely on social media is to be right there with them. It\u2019s no different from placing them in a physical place they\u2019ve never been before. You wouldn\u2019t send them off alone in a big city to figure out how to get around safely at the age of ten<\/span><span id=\"E255\"> or even thirteen<\/span><span id=\"E256\">, so what makes you think they can competently navigate a place with three billion other people by themselves?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"qowt-stl-Heading3\">When you open up a social media account together, where you set the username and password to access the account, you have the opportunity to show your child which posts are appropriate and which ones are not. You can set <span id=\"E260\">and <\/span><a id=\"E261\" contenteditable=\"false\" href=\"http:\/\/childrenandtechnology.com\/have-your-privacy-settings-changed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span id=\"E262\" class=\"qowt-stl-Hyperlink\">maintain <\/span><span id=\"E263\" class=\"qowt-stl-Hyperlink\">the privacy settings<\/span><\/a><span id=\"E264\"> together<\/span><span id=\"E265\">, and you can decide on who to be \u201cfriends\u201d with. You can also make sure your child knows how to block people and that they know it\u2019s okay not to accept every <\/span><a id=\"E266\" contenteditable=\"false\" href=\"http:\/\/childrenandtechnology.com\/two-words-to-keep-your-children-safe-online\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span id=\"E267\" class=\"qowt-stl-Hyperlink\">friend request<\/span><\/a><span id=\"E268\"> they receive. And that\u2019s just the start!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"contentsContainer\">\n<div id=\"contents\">\n<h3 id=\"E271\" class=\"qowt-stl-Heading2\"><span id=\"E272\">2: Don\u2019t Allow Internet Access Between 8pm and 6am<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"E274\"><span id=\"E275\">There are so many reasons for this tip. In my <\/span><a id=\"E276\" contenteditable=\"false\" href=\"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/internet-safety\/expert-shares-3-key-ways-to-keep-your-children-safe-online\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span id=\"E277\" class=\"qowt-stl-Hyperlink\">first article<\/span><\/a>,<span id=\"E278\"> I mentioned that bad things happen in private. Adding on to this, bad things also happen at night.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E280\"><span id=\"E281\">Just as you\u2019re more likely to be attacked physically at night than during the day, the same applies online. Predators are very active at night, and kids will often share things online at night (that will get them in trouble at some point) that they<\/span><span id=\"E282\"> just<\/span><span id=\"E283\"> wouldn\u2019t share during the day. <\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E285\"><span id=\"E286\">Sleep is also a huge component here. The importance for kids and teens to get enough sleep (generally somewhere between 8-1<\/span><span id=\"E287\">2<\/span><span id=\"E288\"> hours a day) is massive\u00a0and has a flow-on affect to most aspects of their life. There is a lot of <\/span><a id=\"E289\" contenteditable=\"false\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lifeeducation.org.au\/parents\/the-importance-of-sleep-for-your-childs-health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span id=\"E290\" class=\"qowt-stl-Hyperlink\">research that suggests children who get enough sleep are happier<\/span><\/a><span id=\"E291\">, less moody, <\/span><span id=\"E292\">physically healthier, <\/span><span id=\"E293\">perform better in school, are able to focus more effectively<\/span><span id=\"E294\">, and generally display better behavior. <\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E296\"><span id=\"E297\">The infamous blue light that comes from screens prevents sleep and should be avoided in the hour before bedtime and all through the night at all costs.<\/span><\/p>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: small;\"><span style=\"color: #444444; font-family: Consolas; font-size: small;\"><aside class=\"sos-advertisement sos-small-ad\">\r\n\t\t                <h3>Our Sponsors<\/h3>\r\n\t\t                <small><em>(This article is continued below)<\/em><\/small>\r\n\t\t                <p class=\"sos-advertisement-information\"><\/p>\r\n\t\t              <\/aside><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"E299\" class=\"qowt-li-1_0 qowt-list qowt-stl-Heading2\"><span id=\"E300\">3: Be Approachable<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"E302\"><span id=\"E303\">When I talk with parents, I find without fail that most think their children will approach them if they have a problem. However, no matter what survey <\/span><span id=\"E304\">results I<\/span><span id=\"E305\"> see, the statistics tell a very different story.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E307\"><span id=\"E308\">The fact is that most children don\u2019t tell their parents if they\u2019re having problems online, usually because they don\u2019t think their parents will respond well. Maybe they think you\u2019ll over-react and make the situation worse. Maybe they think you won\u2019t be able to do anything about it. Or maybe they\u2019re terrified you\u2019ll remove the appendage from their hands, being their mobile device!<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E310\"><span id=\"E311\">It\u2019s hard to help your children with a problem that you don\u2019t know they have, so\u00a0<\/span>the number one key here is to let your children know it\u2019s safe to come to you for help. They need to know they won\u2019t get in trouble or be embarrassed if they tell you what\u2019s going on, and that<span id=\"E312\"> they\u2019ll retain access to their phone or other electronic devices. And while you may think that\u2019s obvious, unless you have this specific conversation with them they\u2019re not likely to agree.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"contentsContainer\">\n<div id=\"contents\">\n<h3 id=\"E315\" class=\"qowt-stl-Heading2\"><span id=\"E316\">There\u2019s So Much More\u2026<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"E318\"><span id=\"E319\">Whilst the job of keeping your children safe online can be successfully achieved it should not be under-estimated. There are complex issues involved and we\u2019re scratching the surface of some of those issues here. If we really want to keep our children safe online we have to delve into this topic to get a much deeper understanding of what it takes to help guide our children safely online.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"E323\">If you\u2019re looking for a way to learn everything you need to know to keep your children safe online and to keep up with changes in technology that affect your children as they happen, you may find what you\u2019re looking for in the <\/span><a id=\"E324\" contenteditable=\"false\" href=\"http:\/\/childrenandtechnology.com\/peaceful-digital-parenting-solution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span id=\"E325\" class=\"qowt-stl-Hyperlink\">Peaceful Digital Parenting Solution<\/span><\/a><span id=\"E326\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"E329\">I look forward to sharing more insights with you to keep your children safe online in the third and final article in this series. See you there!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>** To read Part III, <a href=\"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/internet-safety\/expert-shares-4-final-ways-to-keep-children-safe-online-part-iii\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">click here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"contentsContainer\">\n<div id=\"contents\">\n<p><strong>About the Author<\/strong><br \/>\n<span id=\"E269\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-44001 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/ruth-3.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"123\" height=\"131\" \/>Ruth Dearing<\/strong> is the founder of Children and Technology, a public speaker, international best-selling author of \u201c<\/span><a id=\"E270\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peacefuldigitalparenting.com\/book\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span id=\"E271\" class=\"qowt-stl-Hyperlink\">How To Keep Your Children Safe Online\u2026And Put An End To Internet Addiction<\/span><\/a><span id=\"E272\">\u201d, and a mother of two. Her expertise and passion lies in helping parents keep their children safe online.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8211;<\/p>\n<p>&#8211;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><a class=\"category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/articles\/uncategorized\">Articles<\/a><a class=\"category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/articles\/internet-safety\">Internet Safety. Facts about Cyber bullying<\/a>You may have read my article from last week titled \u201c3 Key Ways To Keep Your Children Safe Online\u201d. If you haven\u2019t read that one yet you can read it here. In that article, I had planned to list ten ways you can keep your children safe online but only discussed three before running out<a href=\"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/uncategorized\/expert-shares-3-more-ways-to-keep-your-children-safe-online-part-ii\" class=\"more-link\">Read This<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1347,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","beyondwords_generate_audio":"","beyondwords_project_id":"","beyondwords_content_id":"","beyondwords_preview_token":"","beyondwords_player_style":"","beyondwords_language_id":"","beyondwords_title_voice_id":"","beyondwords_body_voice_id":"","beyondwords_summary_voice_id":"","beyondwords_error_message":"","beyondwords_disabled":"","beyondwords_delete_content":"","beyondwords_podcast_id":"","beyondwords_hash":"","publish_post_to_speechkit":"","speechkit_hash":"","speechkit_generate_audio":"","speechkit_project_id":"","speechkit_podcast_id":"","speechkit_error_message":"","speechkit_disabled":"","speechkit_access_key":"","speechkit_error":"","speechkit_info":"","speechkit_response":"","speechkit_retries":"","speechkit_status":"","speechkit_updated_at":"","_speechkit_link":"","_speechkit_text":""},"categories":[1,6],"tags":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7878"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7878"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7878\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soskids.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}