53. Worried about your child being online?

Technology is speeding up and with AI becoming common practice, it is good to remember the benefits of this, whilst at the same time making sure you are keeping your children safe. (1)

As a parent you may feel that your children know more about technology than you do. ’Research reveals 12 is the age at which children’s digital knowledge overtakes that of their parents’.(2)

Technology can support your child’s:

wider knowledge
language
problem solving skills
communication
IT skills and
creativity

therefore, you do not want to ban it altogether. (3) ‘If parents are too restrictive, this might leave their children unprepared for the future. The most important thing is that adults are available and ready to support children when they need it.’(4)

Communication

Keeping communication open is key to keeping your children safe both off and online. Active listening and an assertive parenting style (not aggressive or passive) will encourage your children to talk to you about things in their lives. You can find out more about these on our online resources www.sharingparenting.com/for-parents/sharing-parenting-courses/online-sharing-parenting-courses/

Parental controls

The NSPCC also suggests setting up parental controls on devices. They have lots of suggestions and support on their website: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/parental-controls/

Further tips include:

Talking to your child. Explain why you are setting parental controls; to keep them safe but also let them know that they can talk to you to discuss why certain settings are in place.
Set good, strong passwords where you are able. On some parental controls you can set a password which prevents settings and features from being changed.
Remember age and stage – as children get older, restrictions and controls you use will change, but only at a pace that is appropriate for your child, not pressure from your child “because everyone else is allowed”.
Content filters are never 100% effective, it is likely at some point that your child will see inappropriate or upsetting content and it is important that you are able to talk to them about this.

References

1.https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/02/this-timeline-charts-the-fast-pace-of-tech-transformation-across-centuries

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/press-release/tech-savvy-tweens-kids-digital-knowledge-surpasses-their-parents-by-age-12

https://saferinternet.org.uk/guide-and-resource/parenting-in-a-digital-age-what-are-the-benefits-for-my-child-of-using-technology

https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/done-right-internet-use-among-children-can-increase-learning-opportunities-and-build

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