encountering and employing tech and social media. In an article for The Huffington Post, 3 Andrew Rogoyski, VP of cybersecurity services at CGI UK, claimed that the main dangers parents need to be aware of are people masquerading as children and then forming inappropriate relationships with a child – as well as criminals acting to defraud, run scams, or clone an individual’s identity. “There are plenty of services and softwares that promise to keep your children safe online. None of them are substitutes for good parental supervision and knowledge,” he says. It’s crucial to establish ground rules: “When and how long they have ‘screentime,’ what applications they can use, what you, as parents, expect to have access to.” Later in the article, Rogoyksi recommends that parents look to websites such as cyberstreetwise.com and getsafeonline.org to become more tech-savvy and educate themselves about installing security software and strong passwords to prevent hackers. They offer detailed information on topics from online gaming to identity theft prevention so that parents can assess risks and take precautionary measures.
Apps like Zoodles are a great example. Instead of sitting your child in front of an iPad and hoping for the best, this app was made by parents who want to integrate technology into educating younger children – without putting them into unsafe environments. Based on the age and learning level settings you choose, Zoodles controls which websites children can access. Your kids can then watch videos, play educational games and read interactive books, all of which are thoroughly vetted by Zoodles. Parents are also kept up to date with how much time kids spend on each site. IT’S NOT GOING ANYWHERE The threat posed by the online world, especially for future generations, is not disappearing. Especially now the world is turning its gaze towards the metaverse, perhaps an even scarier threat that comes with as much of the unknown as the internet first did. Rather than letting the fear take over, there are always methods you can utilise to help protect the next generation of decision-makers, who will ultimately be faced with the same challenges themselves one day.
There’s also the affirmative approach to the issue. “Encourage positive use of these technologies,” Rogoyski goes on. “If you can get your child interested in subjects like programming, digital art, game design, music production, filmmaking and writing, to name but a few where technology excel, then the darker side of the internet will be much less of an issue.” ADDITIONAL RESOURCES We’ve discussed identifying the dangers posed by the web, but what about any supplementary tech? NO SERVICES ARE SUBSTITUTES FOR GOOD PARENTAL SUPERVISION AND KNOWLEDGE
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