Dangerous Useful Internet: Parents Set the Emphasis

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-18 00:05

Ben Williams, COO of Adblock Plus, discusses the dangers of unlimited Internet use for children and with which programs and installations to minimize harm.

Free time is just a necessary relief for children after school and an opportunity for the whole family to be together. It is good if it is properly structured: excursions, sports, travel, educational games and quests.

However, situations often arise when a child, especially of an older school age, is left to himself. What, in most cases, will children who are bored at home do, who, moreover, probably already have their own smartphone? That's right, go for a "walk" on the Internet.

It is perfectly natural for any child to be curious and greedy for new experiences - without this, development is impossible. However, the Internet is not an environment where children can be allowed to swim freely. The fact that many dangers await in the network of young users has already become a common phrase, but this problem does not lose its relevance.

I will outline a list of the main threats:

viruses, worms and trojans … Here are the most recent ones that have managed to break through the protection of the most advanced smartphone models: Triada, Marcher, Loki, Faketoken, Godless. The first child can pick up when trying to download a game or funny video; the second - by inadvertently opening a suspicious e-mail; still others disguise themselves as "good" software products (a child can install them without malicious intent) and are dangerous in that they steal account passwords, bank card PIN codes and even send SMS.

This type of threat is unlikely to harm the child's psyche; rather, it can become a headache for parents in the form of the hassle of reflashing a smartphone:

1. Inappropriate advertising … The Internet is replete with banners that exploit the theme of eroticism and violence. Such advertisements can be found even on a website with culinary recipes, and even more so on gaming platforms that are interesting to almost any teenager.
2. Spam and phishing attacks. It is unlikely that pin codes from your bank cards are stored on the child's smartphone, and in this sense, a phishing attack is not scary for him. However, hacking social media accounts and sending nasty messages to your friends list can in itself be quite unpleasant for a vulnerable teenager. In addition, spam distracts from any productive activity.
3. Scammers. Alas, real people were and remain one of the most dangerous threats for a young user. They can "make friends" with the child on social networks, find out his phone number and address. It is impossible to defend against them with any program other than a complete ban on being online (which is not an option - if the Internet is not at home, the child will find it with friends or in other places). However, there are still some things you can do.

So, what steps should parents take to make the child's Internet navigation as safe as possible:

1. Set up a child profile on your smartphone and close it with a complex password that only you will know. In the profile settings, specify a ban on installing and uninstalling applications - this way it is less likely that a child will download a Trojan-infected software product (yes, "bad" applications can even leak into the App Store). In addition to blocking threats, this will allow you to control to some extent what the child is doing: is he only busy with useful applications (cognitive games, quizzes, language learning services, chess, etc.) or only plays unproductive games. You can use special programs for children, for example, Kids's Shell and PlayPad, they create something like a second screen for children, are password protected, and besides, they allow you to set the time the child spends on the Internet. In principle, I advise parents to talk more with their child about what he does on the Internet, what he likes to play. And the joint evening installation of "useful" games is a great reason to have a good time together and get closer to each other.
2. Limit yourself to one browser, install on your smartphone, for example, the free Adblock Browser. Any site opened with it will be automatically cleaned of inappropriate ads and distractions. What it looks like: only the main content is displayed, the web page looks natural: no “white spots” in place of hidden banners. In addition, the product allows you to view the navigation history - you can always be aware of which resources your children have visited. Another bonus: using the Adblock Browser reduces the amount of traffic you spend, uses less data, saves battery power, and improves page loading speed - by eliminating the download of bulky animated ads and videos.
3. Protect your child's email and other accounts with 2-level authentication (if a fraudster finds out your password, he will not be able to enter your account without a special code that is sent only to your mobile phone). This will avoid hacking during a phishing attack. Just go to your mail settings to find out how to set it up.
4. So that no one can figure out the address of your child's whereabouts, hide your computer's IP address … To do this, you can use a special VPN service, for example, Free Hide IP, HotSpot Shield, Easy Hide IP, Hide me, TunnelBear. This simple action will save you from unnecessary worries.
5. Potentially dangerous sites can be dealt with in several ways. First - set up a list of sites allowed for visiting in the child's profile … If you are not ready to limit the child in this way, then there is a second way - install an application restricting access to dangerous sites … For example, you can use a separate children's application, for example, for YouTube - with it, the video hosting will only display content adapted for young users.

Remember the phrase "Everything is poison and everything is medicine"? You might think that it was said about the Internet. In our time, it is impossible to protect a child from the network, and it is not necessary.

The best thing parents can do is try to minimize the potential risks by using the reasonable precautions outlined above. If you decide to give your child his first smartphone, do not forget to adapt it to the children's needs.