Skills children need to survive in the digital world
Everyone needs certain skills to survive in today’s digital world. People tend to acquire them as new technologies come along, but today’s generation are born in the era where they basically with a smartphone in their hand. It’s parents who must educate and teach them how to exist in a world of constant information. Here are seven habits that will help your children adapt to the Web.
- Let them have time without devices
Children who spend a lot of time using technology, can become addicted to it. According to research from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, that these addictions can lead to problems sleeping, mood swings, weight gain, poor self-image, and body-image issues.
The best suggestion would be introducing your children to today’s online world by gradually increasing their screen time and slowly removing their restrictions. There are some tips that apply to children of any age: The simplest and most effective include making sure devices are not used close to bedtime and silencing devices overnight.
- Take charge of charging
Although technology is advancing at lightning speed, today’s our devices still run out of power quickly. But while you are sleeping you can solve two problems at once by making your child leave their devices charging somewhere outside of their bedroom such as in the entryway or kitchen — the device will always be charged in the morning, and your children won’t be able to watch YouTube videos or TikToks trends right before bedtime.
Keep in mind that children tend to use their devices much more during the day that when the time evening comes around, the phone battery is most likely dead. If that’s the case in your household, consider buying portable chargers for your children, and get them into the habit of taking the chargers when they’ll be out for long.
- Pay attention to security information and more
When children are immersed in the virtual world, they are vulnerable to different types of dangers, on the Net and in the real world. Start by making sure that they don’t always stare at their phones while they’re crossing the street or walking up or down stairs.
Next topic is online safety including threats such as scams, theft of personal data, viruses, and much more. Tell your children not to visit suspicious websites (and teach them what that means), enter passwords or any personal information there, open strange-looking links, or download apps from anywhere but the official app stores.
Emphasize that they should never share personal documents, credit card information, or photos that could put them or their friends in a compromising position.
It is unlikely that children will remember and follow all those rules right off the bat. For help, you can think no further than a reliable security solution. For example, Kaspersky Internet Security protects your devices from viruses, phishing, and online scams, and Kaspersky Safe Kids helps shield children from inappropriate content and the amount of time they spend on their devices.
- Aim for a reliable amount of media consumption
When our devices are constantly sent notifications, we easily overwhelmed and lose our concentration. Even adults sometimes have a problem fighting the temptation to check messages, so just imagine how difficult it is for kids. Limit the alerts your child can receive on their phone so they don’t get distracted from their schoolwork or other tasks — and so they can finish their homework faster.
Unfortunately, you can’t get rid of notifications from all your apps on all devices at once; you need to configure them separately on phones or laptops, and every operating system has its own features and built-in tools for doing so. We have some posts that can help you manage notifications:
- Follow digital etiquette
Just as in the real world, unspoken rules determine Internet behaviour. People usually master them simply by communicating online, but children need help avoiding such awkward situations, so you should discuss certain situations with them before they go online. For example, discuss the differences between communicating over e-mail, on social networks, and in messaging apps.
It’s also important to explain acceptable behaviour. One rule of thumb is to ask before posting — every time — like would I say this in person? Writing insults and demeaning people online is more than rude; it can be consequential on either side.
- Organize information
Some say an organized phone or computer reflects an organized mind. A messy closet probably doesn’t really affect your child’s life but losing their passwords or files or even forgetting phone numbers can be a problem. Kids should learn to organize information from an early age.
Better solution is, they should get into the habit of making backup copies of their most important information. Make the most of external drives — flash drives or hard drives — or cloud storage. The latter is an important topic that should be discussed separately. The cloud is a great resource, but children should be cautious with it. They especially need to be careful not to allow anyone including strangers access to their personal files.
- Schedule a regular digital break
With digital technology involved in almost every aspect of your child’s life, it’s virtually impossible to avoid information overload. That means children need to be able to step away and make the Internet a less important part of their lives — first with your help and then on their own.
