Today’s kids get access to web-connected devices from a very young age. Most often than not, they are not mature enough to handle the privilege properly. This is why parents need to monitor their digital lives right from the start, making sure that their youngsters do not fall prey to cyberbullies, stalkers, cybercriminals, and the lot. Digital parenting may seem difficult, mainly because most of us are not as tech savvy as our kids. Still, as parents, it is our responsibility to make sure our kids get the maximum benefit from the internet without risking their privacy and security. Here is what you can do to protect the digital generation online.

Create an Internet Usage Policy

The first thing you must do for keeping kids safe online is to create an internet usage policy that the youngsters of the house will have to strictly follow. You may create a written document mentioning the rules and regulations regarding the use of internet and the consequences of breaking these rules. Prohibit the use of laptops and smartphones while watching television with the family or while having dinner. You may also restrict the use of internet at night. There are various parental controls that let you schedule internet access so that kids may also focus on studies and other activities like sports, etc.

Monitor Kids Digital Behavior

Being parents, you should know what your kids do online as it is the only way you can protect them from cybercrimes. Keeping an eye on kids 24/7 is really difficult. It is strongly recommended to use third-party monitoring apps for protecting kids online. These apps let you remain aware of every move your kid takes online. A good parental control app not only filters the internet, but also keeps a record of browsing history. They even give you access to the social media activities of kids, enabling you to know what exactly it is that they do in their digital social life. If they are putting their safety at risk, you can intervene in time.

Restrict Access to Inappropriate Content

Internet is full of bad content ranging from pornographic videos to websites glorifying violence, drugs and suicide. Luckily, you can keep this content from reaching your kids’ device just by installing a parental control on it. These apps let you block direct or indirect access to websites deemed inappropriate. They even allow you to childproof the web through features like safe search. This way, you don’t have to worry about your youngsters stumbling across something that isn’t right for their eyes, at least not until they have grown up and matured a bit.

Our tech-savvy generation may be smarter than us, but they still aren’t good at telling what is good and what is bad for them. Your responsibility as parents is to be like those little voices in their head that stop them from doing anything bad. Help your teens in getting most out of the internet without risking their privacy and security. You have to be the one watching over them and keeping them safe. After all, that is what parents do best.