Do you know what your children are looking at online?

by Stephen Arnold – TeachMe UK

THE INTERNET can be a wonderful resource for children, whether you’re looking for materials that can help support their maths education, helping them to research a piece of coursework, or if you are simply encouraging them to make friends, socialise and broaden their horizons.

For all the benefits of the internet, however, it can also be a dangerous place. Our children might grow up to be so-called ‘digital natives’, but as parents, it’s our responsibility to teach kids about potential dangers and to ensure that they are not accessing inappropriate material. An important part of this is to keep informed when it comes to what your child has access to on the internet and social media.

PHOTO: Lars Ploughmann

One way to do this is to control or monitor what they can see and hear online by using parental controls.

On the NSPCC website, the O2 Guru says: “When it comes to keeping your child safe online, parental control can be incredibly helpful and effective. Giving you the confidence to know that your child can experience the internet safely.”

Parental controls can be used to block certain websites and questionable content, control in-app or online purchases, prevent downloads of age-sensitive apps and other materials, and limit or set the times during which your child can access the internet. You can also log and monitor the sites your child does visit.

Beyond setting controls, it’s also essential to build trust and talk about online safety with your kids. Many parents choose to allow their children more online independence as they get older.

Tools like parental controls do not provide a 100% guarantee — especially if your digital native offspring start to learn more about navigating the internet than you do. You should always encourage them to talk to you if they do encounter content or behaviour that disturbs or upsets them online.

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Based in Sevenoaks, TeachMe provides access to hundreds of online Maths videos covering every area of the National Curriculum.