Kids today spend a lot of time on their electronic devices, especially during summer break. Whether it’s education-based apps, multiplayer games or just scrolling YouTube, there are countless places for young children to exist on a screen — some more dangerous than others.
Tom Arnold, cybersecurity expert and digital forensics investigator, learned this lesson in a memorable way involving his 7-year-old grandson. An avatar appeared on an online game, and held up a sign that asked “What’s your name and where do you live?”
“It was a frightening awakening into how vulnerable kids can be and how crafty people can be to get around things like parental controls that are in games,” Arnold told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The experience inspired him to spread his message and teach children about their own cybersecurity, leading to his new novel, “The Digital Detective: First Intervention.”
“Maybe I can help educate one or two kids as to how bad things can actually be without, you know, lecturing them in a textbook,” he said.
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Many parents know about the dangers electronic devices can pose. However, some assume that if parental controls are set to restrict access to online content, there is nothing else to worry about. The opposite can be true. According to Arnold, time on devices should still be heavily monitored, especially for younger children. Giving a child free range of an iPad is “very much like dropping the kids off the playground to some extent,” he said.
For parents concerned about “cyber hygiene,” which he explains as making sure kids are properly educated on how to spend time online, Arnold has a few key guidelines to follow.
Watch out for games with chat functions
Doing in-depth research into every app your child asks to download may not be realistic for most parents, but there are certain things that should always set off some red flags — such as games with chat functions.
“Whether it’s a chat forum or whether it’s inside a game which provides chat services with other people,” Arnold explains these particular apps should be double checked “no matter what.”
Roblox and other similar games allow parents to turn off the chat functions, but it is still important to monitor these games, because these apps are not just for minors.
“I’m not stating that Roblox is a bad game by any stretch of the imagination,” Arnold said. “It’s a good game for kids to play, but they just need to be educated and cautious about what’s happening.”
Even innocuous information said in these chats can be used by scammers to create profiles of entire families, he explained, so make sure to always monitor the apps if you decide to keep these functions on.
Know the difference between friends online and online friends
According to Arnold, the difference between “friends online” and “online friends” can seem small, but it is actually quite distinct. While both may feel close, children should understand that they need to be cautious about sharing nongame related information with anyone.
“Friends online are people who you know exactly who they are,” he said. “Online friends, these might be strangers that you’re coupled with playing in the game.”
For older children on social media, information like your family being on vacation or even something as simple as a pet’s name can be scooped up by nefarious actors. Sensitive information, like being upset over a grade or other personal issues, can be weaponized even by people kids think are their friends and later used for bullying purposes.
“You see that in cases where unfortunate suicides occur of kids because they’ve been bullied to tears online and they feel their reputation is gone and shot,” Arnold said.
Overall, parents should remember the adage, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.”
Maintain an open dialogue
An important step to making sure that your children are staying safe online is making sure that they can always talk to you.
Kids need to know that “they can go to their parents and they won’t be scolded,” Arnold told the AJC, explaining that children should feel that nothing bad will happen even if they did not use their best judgment.
The more time we spend online, the more there is to be cautious about regarding children on the internet. But there is no need throw out all their devices.
“It’s still a parenting tool,” Arnold said.
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