Protect your kids on their phones with these parental guidelines

While your kids can probably teach you a thing or two about technology, you will always be one step ahead when it comes to their safety – whether they like it or not! You don’t have to be tech savvy to protect your kids with some of these simple guidelines.
Have THE talk
Times have changed and today’s kids have access to cellphones, and the internet, at much younger ages than before. While most social media platforms such as Facebook and Snapchat require users to be at least 13 years old to sign up for a profile, it’s up to you as a parent to decide when you feel your kid is mature enough to enter the digital domain.
When you place a phone in their hands, a good place to start when talking about their safety is the 3 C’s of the internet. The Internet Keep Safe Coalition, a non-profit organisation dedicated to keeping children safe online, advises that kids understand these three concepts:
Contact – do they know the person they are befriending on social media?
Content – is what they’re watching appropriate for their maturity level?
Conduct – are they being bullied by others, or doing the bullying, while online?
Contact
• The most important aspect to note is that they will be able to contact strangers, and strangers from the dark corners of the web will be able to contact them. Make sure they know not to accept friend requests from people they don’t know.
• On that same note, they should never give their cellphone number to a stranger, reply to text messages from unknown people, or answer calls from private or unfamiliar numbers.
• Regularly review your child’s friend lists to look out for any dodgy characters.
• They should be aware of the fact that when they post something online, it is in public domain and they will have no control over who other people share it with.
• Teenagers should keep in mind that employers have started looking at prospective applicants’ social media profiles as character indicators. This could potentially count against them in the future.
Content
• As a parent you will have many uncomfortable conversations with your kids as you guide them through life. With unsuitable content and curious conversations readily available online, you should set clear boundaries regarding these topics.
• Sexting is a thing. Be very clear that sending sexually inappropriate messages are not only unacceptable, but once sent cannot be retrieved and can easily be shared with others.
• Be sure they know to never send inappropriate photographs of themselves to anyone. Although this should be a given, your kid should know it’s okay to say no, and they should never let someone pressure them into doing it.
• If your kid receives inappropriate messages from anyone, be it a friend, family member or complete stranger, they need to know they should keep it and show you as soon as possible.
• With easy accessibility to chat rooms and social sites, kids need to be mindful about who they text and talk with.
Conduct
• Bullying by phone – don’t discount this one. Cyberbullying and harassment have gone mobile and can just as negatively affect your kid as the real thing.
• One advantage of digital is that everything you do leaves a trail. If your young one is being harassed online, make sure they know to take screenshots to save the evidence and show it to someone who can help.
• Don’t let them engage with the bully and simply use preferences or privacy tools to block them from their phone.
• Vice versa, talk with your kids about how to behave on their phones and online and not become bullies themselves. They must respect others’ privacy and know that the same manners and ethics you taught them will apply.
Thankfully, many phones offer parental controls which can generally be found under settings. They allow parents to restrict purchases and block certain apps and sites, so become familiar with these as one of the many tools you can use to protect your kids on their phones.