What Dangers Can Your Kids Face on the Internet?

 What Dangers Can Your Kids Face on the Internet?

The internet has become a lifeline for most kids today. It provides a lot of educational information to your child and helps them to learn as well as stay connected with their friends. With families scattered across the globe, the internet also provide kids with a way to stay in touch with family who live far away. Even though a lot of parents use a parental control app to safeguard their kids from accessing sites they shouldn’t, they should still be aware of the different kinds of dangers your kid may be exposed to on the internet so they can keep their kids safe.

Sexual Predators

While the internet helps our children to stay connected to their families and friends all the time, it also is an opportunity for predators to befriend young kids and take advantage of them. Since children don’t possess the emotional maturity they need to avoid people trying to take advantage of them; predators can easily manipulate them into having an online relationship. They may even be able to talk your kids into meeting them in person. Teaching your kids not to talk to people online that they don’t know is important. It could save their life.

Cyber Bullying

If you though that bullying is only present in schools – think again. Cyber bullying is becoming very popular as we have been seeing many stories on the news of cases where kids were bullied online. With no parental control over the content and no one to supervise how kids behave with each other, the internet has become a favorite place for kids who want to bully others. Apart from that, many young adults face cyberbullies posting hurtful or false information about them for the world to see. This can affect a child or teen’s self-image as well as their social interactions with others in real life. Kids often forget that what they post online can have serious consequences. It’s important to talk to your kids about acceptable behavior online. They could be the bully or the person being bullied. If your could refuses to talk or is a deep introvert, consider using a cell phone spy software like MobileSpy. (This app has been featured on CNN, Forbes, The New York Times and Reader’s Digest.)

Identity theft

A hacker may steal data such as names, addresses, phone number, bank details, social security number and other vital information from your kids. This may lead to identity theft or may result in money being stolen from your bank account. It’s important to set guidelines of what personal information your kids are allowed to share online. Also teach your children about internet safety and not downloading things from a trusted source. Doing this can place spyware or malware on your computer that can not only steal their information but yours as well.

It is important for parents to respect their kids’ privacy but when it comes to the safety of their child, it’s also important to supervise your kid’s online activities. A parental control app can be installed on their computer to help you to know what websites your child visits. Monitoring internet use coupled with teaching your kids about internet safety can go a long way in ensuring they stay safe.

Jessy Frick is a telecommunications specialist and freelance writer. You can find him contributing over at Phone Sheriff, a parental control app.