When you want to complete your task, and your teens are being typical, it’s easy to let them use their smart devices. You may wonder if they are playing online games, but they could indulge in cyber crimes without your knowledge.
Avoid giving smart devices to kids from an early age. Kids these days are smart, and they can easily pick and learn things. Also, if there is no adult supervision, kids may learn about content unsuitable for their age.
Read on for more information.
#1. Educate Your Teens
Educate your kids from an early age, and teens are no exception. Remind teenagers of what’s allowed and what’s not safe online. If kids do not know right and wrong, how would you expect them to behave appropriately in the online world?
Teach your teens to be digital citizens. Tell them it’s not safe to learn anything that can negatively affect someone.
For example, you may have heard about the Twitter hack on July 15, 2020, and the FBI announced three individuals, two of them being seventeen and nineteen years of age.
#2. Build Trust
As a parent, your goal is to give responsible citizens to society. You don’t want to add criminals to the world. So it’s high time to start connecting with your teenage kids!
Build trust when they are young, but it’s never too late if your kids are in their growing years. Tell your kids how much you love them and what they mean to you. You need to provide a safe space for your kids so they can come to you if the times are challenging or they can’t understand or differentiate between right and wrong.
#3. Consider Parental Control Software
You can look into the parental control software if your gut feeling says something is fishy. Tell your kids that you would take advantage of the parental control software and settings. You can act on your sayings a bit later, but this way, you won’t be breaking their trust.
It’s better to be safe than sorry. If you feel the kids are a victim of cybercrime, talk to them nicely about the whole situation. If you think the teenage kids in your house are troublemakers, it’s best to sit down and have a serious conversation. Also, let them know what to expect if they do anything harmful to society. When you are clear in your discussion, you can keep kids away from the dangers of the online world.
#4. Place Computer/Laptop In Family Room
It’s best to keep the computer, laptop, or another smart device in the family room. Paste the internet rules on the wall and read them aloud with your kids. For example, tell teenagers that it’s not safe to share personal information or talk to strangers who sound fishy.
Tell them about identity theft, fraud, and other such dangers. Give basic knowledge to younger kids, but have a deep conversation with the teenagers. For example, tell your kids why it’s not safe to share their images or ask someone to do the same. When you place the digital screen in a common area, it would be easy for you to sit with them and supervise them. If for some reason, the teenage kids won’t cooperate, you can take steps such as not allowing them to use the screen, etc.
See what works for your family and decide accordingly! It all comes down to your family rules and regulations.
#5. Ask for Help
When trying too hard to keep teenage kids away from cybercrime but you feel everything is in vain, it’s best to ask for help. Ask other parents what to do in a particular situation, and you can join social media and ask questions anonymously in different groups.
The lack of knowledge and education could be an issue, so raising awareness about such matters is always better. You can talk to the school counselor and principal and see if they can add workshops or start programs about raising awareness about cybercrimes and how to save yourself from such dangers. The kids also need to refrain from such activities, which is why raising awareness would be great!
Final Words
Your goal is to raise talented individuals who would significantly contribute to this society. So, it would be great to raise awareness about the dangers of cybercrime. It starts with you, so start educating your kids early, but it’s not too late for teenagers.
