Keeping the kids safe

Do children today have a more meaningful relationship with their gadgets? The smartphone, the PlayStation, the tablet and the television may keep a child busy, but they are not substitutes for parental attention or adult supervision. They may, in fact, be harmful. How to protect the kids?

Install a computer for use by young children in the family or living room, not a bedroom, so older members of the family can see what sites the children are accessing.

Install safeguards that can block even accidental forays to X-rated sites.

When a child needs information, don’t just say, “Google it.” Google it together.

Heed the age limits that have been set by social media sites. There are good reasons for them.

Teach media literacy. This is a must-have skill in this new century because just as there is so much information on the Internet, there is a lot of misinformation. Sourcing should be followed by sorting.  Is it true? Is it a hoax? Is it a reliable source?

Be there. You never know when you will come in handy.