Young people are among the most active internet users, and it exposes the presence of children on the internet. In childhood, the internet was more about fun, games, and chatting.
Technology advancements are helping us deal with the difficult tasks of our daily life. We use the internet to get world information in seconds and also send mail in the blink of an eye. Apart from that, we are using various social media apps and fun games to deal with our entertainment purpose.
But are we safe with the apps?
Not at all!
Even there is a big threat for children who are using online apps. These apps use the personal data that we input to increase their prominence in marketing and specializing connections.
Well, recent data has suggested that education apps are sharing information inappropriately. Comparatively, 96% of apps are considering data-sharing practices which are not safe or appropriate for children.
Their privacy is at risk due to persuasive advertising techniques of modern technologies. These data are mainly used to bombard young minds for the highly targeted advertising system.
So, here we are determined to find out the dangerous threats a child may face with online activities and create a safe internet for children.
Major Online Threats To Children
Here we will look at some prominent online threats related to children.
However, after you have gone through this article, you will understand the particular online threats related to your children. Well, when you know the problem, you will need to take adequate measures to get a remedy.
Well, an internet safety guide for kids can be a good choice to ensure better resolutions and online safety for them.
If we know the threats, we will be able to keep track of your children and also create some boundaries for their internet usage. So, it’s time to focus on the threats and make our decisions accordingly.
Threat 1: Inappropriate Content
There is a chock-full of inappropriate content available on internet websites. In fact, the apps that your children are using may contain some inappropriate content.
There are two ways your child may collide with inappropriate content.
- They can get in the wrong direction.
- They may search for such content.
Well, whatever the situation is, it’s not appropriate. However, you might be wondering which particular contents are considered inappropriate.
Though you know, if you are a parent, there is no particular section of inappropriate apps or content. It may vary from app to app and website to website.
- Sexually explicit content.
- Swearing contexts.
- Violence and extremism.
These are the main internet things that your child should be aware of and avoid deliberately.
Threat 2: Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is a prevalent practice in modern days. With advanced social media interactions, it’s necessary for bullies to get out of their homes to interact with children.
We all know that there is a good and bad side to every service. Here on the internet, social media bullying is the most challenging threat of all time.
According to the research, nearly half (46%) of U.S. teens faced cyberbullying (ages between 13 and 17). This data might be terrifying for you, but this is the truth that the contemporary world is leading through.
We cannot control bullies, but we can control internet usage for our children. If they are opening a social media account, take notice of that or at least ask them to come to you if they face anything bad.
It is not their responsibility to understand the threat at a young age, but it’s their responsibility as a parent to save them from online suffering.
Threat 3: Online Scams
Online scamming is not new for adults. Mainly online scammers try to earmark adults but recently, with the advancement of children in managing internet things on their own, they are also vulnerable to such scammers.
They might text while a child is playing online or even directly email on their gaming accounts by stating that they won large sums of money. Then there will be a clickable option which is, in actuality, a scam.
There is a saying: never go for free.
Well, this might seem a cliche line, but in the world of the internet, it is what you need to follow. Online scams may take any mask to approach the computer screen. There is no limitation to online scams, and scammers constantly try to befriend people to take advantage.
For your children, this can be a bigger issue as they do not understand the cruelty of the internet world. Filthy people are around us. They might attract your child with a low-price offer.
It’s easy for scammers to convince a child with a simple message, flash message, or even drop mail.
Threat 4: Chat Room “Friends”
Chat rooms are getting dangerous day by day. Usually, children are prone to gaming online, but that is not safe anymore.
In most games, there is a chat room for fun and partnering. Well, this is a chance for the predators to dig into their chat rooms and pretend to be of the same age. In this way, they befriend the children and proceed to further dangerous collaborations.
Parents need to check the chat rooms constantly and, if possible, look for any chat option through the internet to get rid of such situations.
Threat 5: Technology Addiction
Interesting data in WeForum suggests that 96% of teens use the internet every day.
Well, this is a sign of the digital world, but this can also be a threat to children. Half of these internet users are involved in internet activities constantly.
How do you feel about these activities?
Well, it is a direct indication of internet addiction, and this may lure to behavioral addictions for the children. Whether they are gaming, chatting, or streaming online, their plugged-in time is affecting their health issues.
Their deteriorating health issues may result in insomnia, aggressiveness, anger, depression, and poor diets.
The only solution here is to restrict your child’s internet usage. No one is asking them to stop using the internet, but regulating the usage time can be a handy solution.
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