The adage ” Time and Tide waits for none” is as true as it gets. With the world evolving rapidly, the education system too is changing every second of the day.

Over the last few years, pandemic has opened new possibilities in the education sector, with online classes being popular, homeschooling is now finding its way out among Indian households. Online schooling is now exploring new ways of reforming education and we are happy that we are pioneers of combining online education and homeschooling.

With access to the internet being available to all age groups, it has become our collective responsibility to make sure that our children are safe in the digital world.

What is Internet Safety?

As parents and educational institutions look towards online learning for their kids and students it is also important to address online safety for students.

Internet safety is when we realise the problems that the internet has to offer in the form of various crimes like cyberbullying and data leakages and then implementing mechanisms to ensure these crimes are avoided. As a generation of children are now accustomed to using electronic devices the onus is upon us to take internet safety seriously.

How important is internet safety?

Internet safety is one of the most important components of online education and homeschooling. As a significant amount of time is spent on electronic devices it is very important to have a good idea about internet safety. It is also crucial to know the different threats that one can experience in this digital world and the ways to prevent the same.

A recent report from a leading online protection company McAfee 42% Indian students experience cyberbullying, this alarming statistics has made internet safety a need of the hour and rightly so.

Why Child Safety Matters in Online Education?

Internet being a powerful tool, it is important to look out for dangers during a child’s online education. Internet safety for students is important because-

More Access to the internet – As online education means spending more time on the internet. More internet time can lead to more browsing, and camouflaged websites use this opportunity to send genuine looking links and posts which might contain malware.

Cyberbullying and Harassment – The most concerning form of cybercrime is cyberbullying. This form of bullying is on a rampant increase across the world with 1 in 3 students deleting their social media accounts unable to cope with online bullying.

Malware – Anyone can accidentally be victims of malware, with more and more time being spent on the internet by students, malwares finds a way into your devices thereby compromising your internet safety.

Sharing Private Information – Users of the internet can get as anonymous as possible and this can at times lead you into a dire situation where you make your personal information available to the wrong people.

Online Predators and Identity Theft -Online predators often lure your children by pretending to be their friends and then commit heinous crimes. Data leakages and identity theft can cause serious in the long run as personal information can be misused.

With all this mind it is important to know a few online tips for students.

Internet Safety For Children

Make sure that you have good online protection softwares installed on your devices.

It is advisable to have the computers in the living area as you can monitor your child’s activity.

Activating parental controls allows you to make sure your children do not land on the wrong websites.

Make sure you talk to your children about how they can approach you in case of cyberbullying and harassment.

Now that we know about the dangers of the internet and the ways to keep your children safe in the internet world, it is now time to discuss how you can talk to your children about internet safety.

How Should You Discuss Online Safety With Your Children?

Let us understand the various ways on how to discuss online safety with your children –

Make sure your children know that they can approach you with their problems no matter what.

Take internet safety classes together so that they know you take their concerns seriously.

Teach your children about online predators and ways they lure them, being open about dangers can make your children more alert in confusing and dangerous situations.

Let your children know about privacy and educate them about what details can be made public and what not to be made public.

Rest assured, as a responsible organization involved in making a better future for the younger generation we take internet safety seriously and we as educators take pride in educating our students about the nuances of internet safety. We also take great care in making sure that we adhere to all forms of internet safety mechanisms so that you and your children can focus on the quality of the education and nothing else!