Children growing up in the modern world will need to contend with the internet, and with digital technology more broadly. This is something that, for the most part, can’t be avoided, even if it were desirable to do so. What parents can and should do, however, is set the right rules.
Just as you wouldn’t allow your children to sit in the car without the appropriate seat and restraints, you shouldn’t allow them unrestricted access to the online world.
But exactly what tools are available to parents looking to safeguard their families against digital threats, and why, exactly, should we be taking those threats seriously? Let’s run through a few pieces of practical guidance.
Why Your Child’s Personal Data Is More Valuable Than Ever
Personal information is the lifeblood of the modern internet. It’s something that can be harvested without your knowledge or consent, in a number of surprising places. When your children use apps, websites, and online games, they create a digital footprint that can be used against them later on. You wouldn’t provide a stranger with your personal details in the real world; doing it in the online one should be considered inadvisable, too.
The Growing Risks of Data Collection and Online Tracking
Online tracking and data collection are not just limited to nefarious online actors. It’s quite a mainstream, and even necessary, thing to do. You might think of your favourite website remembering your details, so that it can provide you with an experience that’s unique to your needs and preferences.
But it’s fair to say that online tracking can create too much personalisation, leading children into information silos and extremist echo chambers. Intrusive ads, mental health problems, and biased profiling practices might all be harmful, in different ways.
Practical Ways Parents Can Strengthen Online Privacy at Home
So, what measures do parents have at their disposal? For one thing, it’s useful to be transparent about what you’re doing. Talk to your family, in an age-appropriate way, about the risks and how you’re seeking to counteract them. Encourage them to use a password manager, and to enable multi-factor authentication. A free VPN for Mac might be a worthwhile thing to consider, too.
The privacy conversation should be an ongoing one. Talk to your children about the latest online developments, and encourage them to come to you with points of confusion.
Balancing Convenience and Privacy in the Connected Home
We’ve already mentioned how tracking software can make the internet more pleasant to use. So, there’s a balance to be struck between convenience and privacy. What matters is that you strike this balance in an informed way, and that you compromise your privacy deliberately, rather than through errors.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
