The following article is from a MamaBear guest blogger:
Parenthood has become more challenging since the worldwide web took over our lives. The limitless possibilities entailed in accessing the web have their positive side, but there is a reason why parents should be paying more attention to the negative.
Teenagers are prone to be careless in creating and maintaining their virtual life; they are pulled left and right by the passing trends that dictate the web’s revolution. Amidst their effort to keep up with social standards and to cope with peer pressure, they tend to forego their security altogether. The consequences of this reckless behavior are severe. Many teenagers have been victimized by criminals online and offline, and the effect of their misfortune reaches to their relatives and friends as well.
It is the ultimate responsibility of the parents to ensure their teenager’s safety while online. While this task may seem too difficult to manage, any parent who is determined to maintain family security will find multiple means to pull this off. You’ll never regret a single ounce of effort you exert into taking control of your teenager’s virtual life.
Get Acquainted with the Web
How do you expect to outsmart your teenagers if you are unaware how the worldwide web runs? Parents have to spend time making themselves web-capable to gain an extensive preview of the sphere wherein their children interact with other people. Identify the top social networking sites visited, the top applications downloaded, and the top themes researched by the age group your teens belong in. Keeping up-to-date with their possible endeavors will enable you to predict the dangers they may encounter.
The web is a large place of endless odds, meaning that you cannot establish efficient security measures without specific knowledge of what you are protecting your teens from. Aside from the basic internet security software, you have to resort to specific deeds to put the proper limits on your teen’s internet activities.
Account for the Gadgets in Your Home
Include in your studies the gadgets that you have in your house, including all cellular phones, and laptops. Teenagers are able to manipulate these devices with expertise that you may not have expected. They can customize the security settings to ensure that you won’t track their online activities.
Take Advantage of Antivirus Program
Malware and hackers still play a part in the overall threat that is looming over your teens. Installing best real-time antivirus software is an excellent means to lessen the damage that you can incur. Malware is an instrument utilized by hackers to gain administrative control over other people’s computers, thus giving them access to your personal files. Cyber criminals often use these files to blackmail young people for money or alternative forms of bargain.
Confront Your Teens
Don’t make it a secret to them that you plan to be a part of their online interests and to check that everything they do in cyber space is safe. Going undercover and being found out later on may pose threats to your relationship that will lead them to be completely secretive of their affairs.
Make your intentions clear to them; the point of this pursuit is to supervise them not because you do not trust them, but because the web is a dangerous place. It is a fact that teens who are aware of their parents’ watchful eyes are more likely to be careful with their online affairs.
Construct Rules
To guarantee the efficiency of the rules you’ll be setting, they have to be created in the presence and with the agreement of your children. These rules will turn into an agreement rather than constraints for them; hence making the job of instituting them a whole lot easier.
Be strict in implementing the punishments you have agreed with. It will send them the message that you’re serious about keeping their online activities aligned with the rules you’ve created. If ever your teens try to push the boundaries, remind them that you are standing your ground. Between the two of you, you’ll have to be the stubborn one.
Channel Positive Energy
Avoid having them rebel against you by letting them understand that conforming to social standards and peer pressure will do them little good. Channel positive energy in the entire duration of this pursuit to let them understand that you are doing this for them. Be flexible in dealing with them. You’ve been a teenager once; you know that these years are not the easiest in life.
Be a Role Model
The simplest way to direct them to the right path is by becoming their role model. Practice safe internet usage and avoid visiting sites that you’ve prohibited them from accessing. Earning their respect in this area will require time and a lot of self-control. Just remember that the lessons they learn now will pay off in their adult years.
Author Bio:
James is a Network Security Expert and presently he places in NYC. Along with this he has a passion of writing technology blogs. He always tries to write something that helps his users in updating their antivirus software for computer security.
