Digital Dangers Parents Should Watch Out For in the New School Year

Once upon a time, a public service announcement aired on the television, “It’s 10pm. Do you know where your children are?” as a reminder about public curfews for adolescents. More fitting questions now might be, “Do you know what your child is doing online?” or “Do you know who your child is talking to online?”

From the time children start school they begin to use digital devices and the internet and begin using online platforms for academic purposes. Our children often understand how to use these tools better than we do.

However, our children and teens do not understand or do not always consider the implications of the choices they make while online. They absorb information and do not understand the impact it has on them.

As this school year starts, parents should watch out for digital dangers:

• Apps, websites and videos their children are utilizing or watching online
• Cyberbullying
• Who they are communicating with and what information they share

Apps, websites and videos are not always what they seem

Kids from a young age get on gaming websites, apps, YouTube and social media, sometimes with parental permission, sometimes without. Do we really know what they are doing, playing or watching on these sites? A lot of it can be or seem quite innocent, but some of it ends up being suggestive and even dangerous.

In the last several years, many children and parents have expressed concern about specific gaming sites on which children are approached by adults who attempt to groom and abuse them. Some cartoons on YouTube look like animated series that children regularly watch but turn out to be darker or have more adult content than the original. Other popular videos many kids watch are gameplay or videos based on game characters, some of which seem to be cute and harmless but end up being horror games.

Talking to your children about what sites they are on and showing interest and communicating about safety online can help protect children and support them in knowing how to spot something that may look safe, and what to do if it becomes unsafe. Sites like Common Sense Media (commonsensemedia.org) offer parents tools to review a variety of media sources for a fee. Connect Safely (connectsafely.org) is a free service which provides articles on various apps and types of media that assist parents in making decisions as well as determining how to approach their children about being safe.

There are safety measures and parental controls for your children’s devices. If you aren’t sure how to use them, check YouTube for a tutorial, ask your friendly IT person or ask at your phone store. Sometimes support is offered through your local school.

Cyberbullying doesn’t stop after school

When our children get bullied at school, it may be easy to see. They may come home from school with damaged clothing or property, they may be vocal, emotional or sullen, or you may even be contacted by the school. It has an end – they come home and are safe.

Cyberbullying is different – anywhere the child logs in from, they are vulnerable to attack. Children being cyberbullied often suffer more severe symptoms than children only experiencing in-person bullying, although both may experience similar symptoms, which may include depression, suicidal ideation, self-harm and suicide attempts.

We can help children who are cyberbullied by helping them feel safe, scheduling a meeting with the school (if it involves students from their school), helping them develop or increase resilience, educating them about appropriate online behaviors and monitoring online activity. The Cyberbullying Research Center offers a publication on cyberbullying identification, prevention and response. cyberbullying.org/Cyberbullying-Identification-Prevention-Response-2026.pdf

Current research recommends seeking professional help for children being cyberbullied. If you suspect a child is in crisis, get help immediately.

The dangers of sharing information online

Whether it is during gameplay, commenting on social media platforms, email or apps designed for children, kids will communicate and socialize with others. Children and teens spend time talking to others and will trust in the relationships they build with people they believe to be peers of the same age.

Kids can become so close with online friends they believe it is OK to disclose personal information, including their address. Children do not realize that giving away private information to people that you do not know in person is not safe. Children are usually trusting and have not developed the level of safety awareness necessary to understand that not everyone online is who they say they are.

Helping our kids develop some digital safety awareness may begin with some open conversations or a teachable moment. Regardless of how you start the conversation, be sure to review internet safety, what not to disclose, how to recognize a safe person and identify what behaviors might create concern.