By Nobuhle L. Ngema
As much as the internet offers endless learning opportunities, it also exposes children to risks such as cyberbullying, online predators and privacy violations. With children spending more time online than ever, cyber safety has become a critical parenting responsibility.
Children’s digital footprints begin earlier than most parents realise, with a recent report by cybersecurity company, Kaspersky, finding that most kids in South Africa get their first gadget between age three and six, but alarmingly, more than a quarter (26%) of parents surveyed said they’d never spoken to their children about safety on the internet.
Arno Jansen van Vuuren, Managing Director at education insurance provider Futurewise, and a father himself, emphasises the importance of early education.
Experts suggest that internet safety education should begin between the ages of two and 11, when children are still forming online habits and are most receptive to guidance. Once they reach their teenage years, enforcing digital boundaries becomes significantly harder.
Jansen van Vuuren shares three ways parents can help protect their kids online.
- Set screen time limits and monitor usage
Parental controls on devices and apps can help limit exposure to harmful content and excessive screen time so ensure you have set all their devices at their most secure level before handing them over to young hands. Setting boundaries – like no screens at dinner or before bedtime – can also foster healthier online habits. And remember, kids will follow what you model, so that means no screens during the set times for parents too!
- Teach kids about privacyand online stranger danger
Children often overshare personal information, such as their age, address or parents’ whereabouts, without realising the consequences. You should discuss the risks of interacting with strangers online, the importance of keeping personal details private, and the reality that not everyone is who they claim to be on the internet. Don’t scare your kids but teach them to be vigilant on their screens – and continue having this conversation as they get older.
- Leverage age-appropriate resources
Beyond setting rules, empowering children with knowledge is key, and resources exist that can help in this regard. The Social Kids programme, now available on Futurewise’s Learning Hub, is one such example, and is designed to teach children in the critical six to 11-year window about internet safety through interactive lessons. Guided by Codey Crawler, an engaging digital character, Social Kids helps children develop the confidence to navigate the internet wisely – learning when to say no, block harmful content, and report unsafe situations. The programme also provides parents with best-practice guides to support digital safety discussions at home.
