Digital technology has become an integral part of children’s lives, offering them opportunities to learn and socialize, but also exposing them to risks. For Canadian parents, developing digital literacy and online safety for children are important tasks that help protect children from cyberthreats and build skills for responsible digital use.
What is digital literacy?
Digital literacy includes skills for safe technology use, critical thinking, recognizing fakes, and protecting data. It enables children to confidently navigate the digital world, which is important for their future education and career. Parents should teach their children how to correctly evaluate information and protect themselves from potential threats online.
Online Risks for Children Children may face risks such as cyberbullying, contact with strangers, inappropriate content, and data theft. These threats require parents to actively intervene and regularly monitor their children’s digital activity.
Safety Tips
Internet Rules: Set boundaries – discuss what sites are safe to visit and how much time is safe to spend online. Follow the rules of respectful communication online.
Developing Critical Thinking: Teach your children to check sources of information and distinguish truth from fake.
Parental Controls: Use special programs to control access to content and monitor your children’s activities.
Discussing Cyberbullying: Talk to your child about what cyberbullying is and what to do if you encounter it. Emotional support is important in such cases.
Protecting Personal Information: Teach your children not to share personal information online. Set privacy settings on social networks.
Engagement in Digital Life: Show an interest in what your children are doing online to build trust.
Helpful Resources for Parents
Canadian organizations such as the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and MediaSmarts offer resources to improve children’s safety online. The Get Cyber Safe program also helps parents get helpful cybersecurity tips.
Teaching children digital literacy and keeping them safe online are important tasks for Canadian parents. Setting rules, developing critical thinking, and regular monitoring will help create a safe environment online and prepare children for the challenges of the digital world.
Anastasia Chupina