Children’s digital footprints begin earlier than most parents realise, with a recent report by cybersecurity company Kaspersky finding that most children in South Africa get their first gadget between age three and six years – an age when online safety is still a vague idea.
The internet is a double-edged sword for children – while it offers endless learning opportunities, it also exposes them to risks such as cyberbullying, online predators and privacy violations.
However, alarmingly, more than 26% of parents surveyed said they had never spoken to their children about safety on the internet.
“This generation was born into technology. They are digital natives, navigating the online world before they even learn to read. As parents, we must equip them with the skills to explore safely, just as we would teach them how to cross the road.”
Arno Jansen van Vuuren, managing director at education insurance provider Futurewise
Experts suggest that internet safety education should begin between the ages of two and 11, when children are still forming online habits and are most receptive to guidance. Once they reach their teenage years, enforcing digital boundaries becomes significantly harder.
Ways to protect kids online
Set screen time limits and monitor usage
Parental controls on devices and apps can help limit exposure to harmful content and excessive screen time.
Ensure you have set all their devices at their most secure level before handing it over to young hands.
Setting boundaries – like no screens at dinner or before bedtime – can also foster healthier online habits. Kids will follow what you model, so that means no screens during the set times for parents too.
Teach kids about privacy, online stranger danger
Children often overshare personal information, such as their age, address or parents’ whereabouts, without realising the consequences. Discuss the risks of interacting with strangers online, the importance of keeping personal details private, and the reality that not everyone is who they claim to be on the internet.
Leverage age-appropriate resources
Beyond setting rules, empowering children with knowledge is key, and resources exist that can help in this regard.
The Social Kids programme, now available on Futurewise’s Learning Hub, is one such example, and is designed to teach children in the critical six to 11-year window about internet safety through interactive lessons.
Guided by Codey Crawler, an engaging digital character, Social Kids helps children develop the confidence to navigate the internet wisely – learning when to say no, block harmful content, and report unsafe situations. The programme also provides parents with best-practice guides to support digital safety discussions at home.
“Predators and scammers will always exist, but with the right education, we can make it much harder for them to succeed”, concludes Jansen van Vuuren.
