Alongside implementing parental controls, NCC releases tips for parents and guardians to adopt to keep children safe online. NCC outlines guidelines to children, wards on cyber safety stated as follows: Click on the link to view the NCC video https://fb.watch/slnf5sIzn8/
NCC said children can become victims of cybercrimes such as cyberbullying, online grooming, access to inappropriate content, and scams. On this note, Parents and guardians have been equipped with the knowledge to help them supervise their children’s online activity.
With many websites offering harmful content for children, searching for new sites should always be done with a parental guardian. The internet has a variety of information which can be both good and bad, to avoid your child using search engines, bookmark the websites they should use and show them how to access these bookmarks independently.
NCC said parents and guardians should make sure the children in their care are aware that they should never share their real name, age, personal pictures or videos, home address, school address, or current location online or with strangers they interact with online, as cybercriminals can use this information to target them.
The regulatory body stated that by ensuring the devices children use are in a public area of the home, parents and guardians can periodically check on the online activity of their child, to assess how their online experiences are affecting them. This can also help foster ongoing conversations and openness about your child’s online activities.
NCC thereby urged parents and guardians should periodically check their children’s browsing history to make sure they are following their online activity. A harmful piece of content that they may have accidentally stumbled upon, can create damaging effects that they are keeping from parents. Where parents find something concerning, use this as an opportunity to discuss why what they have visited is unsafe.
Knowing who children are talking to online is another critical observation NCC said parents and guardians should take note of. Online grooming is a common issue associated with instant messaging services. Ensure your child only interacts with individuals you know, so that you create a safe network for your child to learn and grow online. Ask your children about who they interact with and become a friend, follower or subscriber to supervise their network of online friends.
NCC also encouraged parents, and guardians cautioning them to close inappropriate windows and tabs. When something inappropriate comes on screen, encourage your children to immediately close the tab or window and inform you of whatever they have seen. Inform your children that when you visit the wrong sites, other windows and tabs with ‘yucky’ content can popup, encourage them to immediately close what they find
Limiting the time children spend online is another cyber safety caution. Spending longer than reasonable periods on a device is unhealthy for children. According to research from OSF Health Care, more than 2 hours for leisure using devices can lead to children developing various health issues. Limit your children’s time using internet-connected devices to the bare minimum, and encourage other constructive extracurricular activities such as outdoor sports.
