What You Need to Know About E-Safety

Teenagers use digital technologies almost every single day. They use it for many things – from keeping in touch with friends to studying and doing schoolwork. Sometimes, they turn to the Internet to seek help for mental health problems and will experiment with different ways of expressing themselves.

Since they spend a lot of time online without adult supervision, teens must be made aware of the acceptable and unacceptable behaviors in using the Internet and how to avoid risks. Here’s what you need to know about e-safety for teens.

E-Safety – Be Aware of What Teens Might Do Online

One way to prevent your teen from the dangers of the internet is to be aware of what they might be doing online. You should have healthy communication with your teens and stay interested in their online activities. 

Be aware of how much information your teen shares online and to whom they share such information. Find out which websites and social networking pages they frequently visit. Teach them about privacy settings and make sure they are familiar with these websites’ reporting mechanisms. If you are curious about the websites or social networking sites your teen’s visit, research more about these sites. Sign-up for an account on the social media site that they frequently visit so you can learn the ropes of the website and see for yourself if it’s safe or not.

When discussing with your teens their Internet use, do not hesitate to bring up sensitive issues such as cyberbullying, pornography, sexting, etc. It may be awkward and embarrassing, but this is for the benefit of your child.

Issues Teens Might Have

Because teens are online most of the time, mostly without adult supervision, they are often at risk of cyber threats. Some of the most common issues that teenagers may have to deal with when using the Internet are cyberbullying and pornography, which is often associated with mental health and legal implications.

Teenagers could come across materials online that they could find upsetting or uncomfortable, especially if they saw them accidentally. These include sexually explicit content or pornography, hate sites, violence, terrorist sites, fake news, and harmful content such as suicide, self-harm, or drug use. There is also the risk of contacting adults pretending to be kids and trying to befriend them through social network sites.

Conduct risks are among the issues teens will face when using the internet. These include cyberbullying, inappropriate use of passwords, sexting, making unauthorised purchases, and having trouble controlling their online time. 

E-Safety – Being Aware of Cyberbullying 

Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that happens through the Internet. It can occur through social media and forums. It includes posting or sharing harmful content about someone else and sharing private information to cause humiliation to the person.

Cyberbullying is one of the most common issues that teenagers face online. Since users can remain anonymous online, they take advantage of this to bully people. Cyberbullying is most common on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram and can happen through messaging apps and text messaging. It is also common in chat rooms, online forums, and gaming platforms.

Research has shown that victims of cyberbullying could suffer various consequences, especially on their mental health. In addition, cyberbullying can cause deliberate stress on teenagers, leaving them feeling embarrassed, hurt, and scared.

While there’s no sure-fire way to keep your child safe against cyberbullying, there are things parents can do to minimise their risks. It includes implementing e-safety measures and having ongoing discussions with your teens regarding cyberbullying. You must be able to discuss with your teen what cyberbullying is, its risks and how they can avoid it. It’s also essential that you talk to your teens about how to safely use social media and what they should do if they become a victim of cyberbullying.

Resources to Know About 

One of the biggest problems with using the Internet is that people can prevent being anyone and take advantage of this opportunity to victimise vulnerable individuals, such as teenagers. But banning your teens from social media is not the solution. Doing this will only cause more harm than good since you will be taking away a big part of their social life, which could affect their mental health. 

The key to keeping your child safe online is to provide them with resources regarding e-safety. There are online resources that will teach teens about proper Internet use. These usually come in the form of tutorials teaching them how to stay safe online. It’s important that parents and teachers educate themselves on safeguarding. 

Provide your kids with materials to teach them about managing screen time, a social media guide, and other resources to help them stay safe using the Internet.

Top Tips to Teach Kids about E-safety

The Internet is a great way to connect with other people, which is good for your child’s mental health. It also helps them with school reports, communicate with their teachers and classmates, and play interactive games. But as you know, the Internet can also expose your teens to dangers. Therefore, you must educate them about e-safety.

One of the most important e-safety tips teens should be aware of is how to keep personal information private. Advise your child to think before they post something. Tell them that whatever they post online can be shared publicly by anyone. Advise them never to give out important information, such as your complete address.

You should also teach your kids where to seek help if they face danger online. Teach them how to report service providers and use blocking or deleting tools. If something upsetting happens to them online, encourage them to open up to you about it.

More importantly, tell your kids not to give in to pressure. Discourage them from talking to strangers. Explain that you will never know who is really behind those messages since anyone can pretend online. Ask them to tell you straight away if they receive upsetting messages or images from someone they interact with online.