Connectivity is enriching the lives around the world, particularly for children and young people who are keen to learn. Whereas, many new tests are yet to be done for the children as well as for young adults to circumnavigate online frauds, cyberbullying, online privacies, viruses, hackings, exposure to the potentially dangerous contents, availability of the child sexual abuse materials, security concerns, and much more.
Many parents even try to keep an eye on their children by installing Wi-Fi nanny camsin their rooms to save them from any unacceptable situations. But including this, many other child safety measures need to be addressed too for smooth working on the internet.
Here are a few of the challenges faced by the children to go online, which are as follows:
Cyberbullying
Children are facing cyberbullying that takes place mostly digital devices like computers, smartphones or tablets, etc. It mainly occurs by posting comments and rumors online that are embarrassing and hurtful. In cyberbullying, the threats to hurt or kill someone are also included. People used to display the hateful names, comments, or contents about religion, race, ethnicity, or any other personal characteristics to hit someone personally.
The solution to the Cyberbullying
Try to limit your children from posting their personal information on the internet. And guide them to ignore an issue if they find any rather than to provoke it. Keeping the cyberbullying documented is always beneficial, like keeping the record of dates, times, etc. both in printed and electronic form.
Cyberstalking
It is another way of harassing someone by using technology, particularly the internet. The standard features of cyberstalking comprise of false allegations, monitoring, intimidations, identity theft, and data obliteration or manipulation. People usually use a word of “stalking” to keep an eye on someone or to describe following someone on social platforms. It is not the same as cyberstalking, which is a crime and involves adults in it. The Catfish method is used for cyberstalking. It is used when someone postures as someone else by using the fake personal information of them like names, photos, and locations, etc.
The solution to the Cyberstalking
To keep oneself safe from cyberstalking, one should review their online information exists and keep them as minimum as possible both on or offline. As well as avoid using public forums and discuss your public and security settings. Keep your computer and mobile devices updated with the antispyware software and ensure that the wireless hub has a security router turned on.
Child Sex Offenders
It is being observed that child sex offenders are facilitated through technology, especially the internet. About one in seven youth internet users receive unwelcome sexual solicitations. Even one in 25 children use to accept online sexual solicitations in which the solicitor tried to contact offline as well. Eleven percent of the teenagers have declared that they shared their nude pictures to someone else through text or by online sources, whereas they do not think that the person with whom they are sharing those pictures shared them with someone else. This opens another internet concern like Sextortion. Sextortion is intimidating to viral the nude images that were sent privately unless financial or sexual favors are provided.
Solutions to face child sex offenders
To keep your child safe from child sex offenders, try to spend time with your children while they are using the internet. Ask them about their child safety concerns and tell them too. And educate your child to block users who are making them uncomfortable.
Privacy
The internet-connected devices are ubiquitous these days, and the hackers are always ready to breach the privacy of children and families. The passwords can be easily hacked to take personal information and personal data. Even the children’s toys are also connected with the internet these days. Like, The CloudPets, are the internet-connected toys that have the login details. The CloudPets has suffered through the security breach that has unprotected the millions of login details by the hackers. Fisherprice was also hacked, exposing the names and birthdates of children using their connected toys with the internet.
Solutions to face privacy concerns
Try to reset the passwords and account settings every day and keep them long and complicated ones to make it difficult for hackers to hack it.
Conclusion
Children are innocent in their minds and activities at an early age. So, they are unable to recognize the positive and negative elements existing in this world that could harm them. A little guidance and assistance to them can save many from any harmful situation that could be damaging to them for the rest of their lives. So, by keeping eye, parents can teach them many aspects of the internet as well as the right and beneficial use of it in a meaningful manner.
