How to Teach Internet Safety to Younger Elementary Students: The world is changing at quite a fast pace. The advent of high-speed internet has made life quite different for people around the globe. The norms of the world are constantly changing as there is a whole new platform for communicating socially. As the unlimited internet plans make it easy for you to have access to internet all the time, the chances of children being exposed to internet threats are also increasing. It is impossible to keep your kids from using the internet and it is not right either. You need to however ensure their safety by teaching internet safety to younger elementary students. Inculcating the right internet use habits right from school can help them stay safe from cyber-crimes and frauds.
Here are some tips to train your children or school students of internet safety measures:
Teach Children the Importance of Passwords: The habit of setting the right passwords and not sharing with friends or strangers starts from when children are young. It is a great idea to teach your kids the importance of passwords. Tell them why it is important to keep the passwords to themselves. Also help them understand why they should not use others’ passwords or log in from others’ accounts. The unlimited home wifi plans today give children a lot of opportunity to access internet easily at home and school. Proper security measures need to be taken to ensure safety.
Teach Children the Need to Speak Positive: We often hear of trolls on the internet and the misuse of online platforms to spread negative or fake information. It is our duty to inculcate the right values in children so that they do not take to such negative interaction patterns on the internet. Teach children about the need to reread their messages before sending them out. Tell them about how fake messages may spread misinformation and panic in the minds of the readers. Make the children understand the need to evaluate the authenticity of the messages they are sharing. Don’t let them misuse the unlimited wireless internet to spread negativity.
Tell Them to Confront Elders When They Come Across Content on Internet that Makes Them Uncomfortable: There are chances that children come across content that makes them feel uncomfortable but fear to confront elders. This is the reason why they need to be aware that you are available for them. Tell them that they should confront the elders when they come across any such content or are faced with situations where they don’t know what to do.
Set Certain Limits to Internet Usage: The latest unlimited broadband plans allow you to enjoy seamless internet service at the most affordable pricing. However, this does not mean you allow kids to stay riveted to their screens the entire day. This could lead to computer or digital addiction which is definitely not suitable at any age. Growing kids may lose out on their learning avenues when they are addicted to the digital media. This is the reason why students and children at home should be given restricted access to the internet and digital devices. Grown up students and kids may also be made aware about the risks of addiction to digital platforms.
Teach Students About Chat Ethics: You need to find out whether students are active on chat platforms. You need to find out why they use these platforms. You also need to make them aware of chat ethics and how much information you should disclose to chat friends. Making students understand these facts will keep them safe on different online platforms.
Make Them Aware About Click Baits: We often hear of frauds that happen through click baits. Older children should be made aware of such possibilities. This is because older children are more vulnerable to getting trapped through such scams because of their high level of curiosity. Informing them about the possible threats will keep them safe while using internet.
It is important to train elementary school students about safe ways of surfing the internet. Schools need to organise quizzes and games to get these rules through to the children in an interesting manner. It will help to build more secure online platforms.
