Top 10 Dangers of the Internet for Kids That You May Be Unaware of pdf

Top 10 Dangers of the Internet for Kids
That You May Be Unaware of

The internet has served as one of the most powerful tools to mankind. During
recent years, we have mastered the art of working remotely, accomplishing daily
tasks, and communicating from a distance.
It may come to you as a surprise but the maximum active internet users are
children. And this makes them more vulnerable to various threats. If you don’t
supervise your children’s internet usage, they can get in trouble. Supervision can
be done by limiting their screen time or installing a parental control app on their
phone to keep a check. From Cyber predators to social media posts that can come
back to haunt them later in life, online hazards can have severe, costly, even
tragic consequences. Children may unknowingly give cybercriminals access to
their parent’s bank account or more sensitive information.
A cybersecurity software can help protect against some threats.
If you want to protect them from the most severe online dangers, you need to be
more interactive with them.

Is the Internet Posing Danger for Youth

Whether we accept this fact or not, the internet can be hazardous for children.
Although some people do not accept the obvious dangers of the internet, the facts
tell a different story.
According to a survey, 1 out of 8 interviewed parents had given their kids access
to the web from a very early age. More than 70% of the parents stopped
supervising their children after the age of 14. The most shocking fact is that
more than 70% of missing children cases happened to befriend a predator that
involved kids of age 15 or above.
Do you still consider the internet to be a safe environment for your kids? Check
out the most severe online dangers faced by the kids on a daily basis.

Top 10 Dangers of the Internet for kids

that you need to consider:

1. Cyberbullying

Majority of teens agree that cyberbullying is a problem and 63% believe it to be a
real threat. Kids enjoy their time on social media apps like Tinder, Snapchat, Kik,
and others. However, social media is the most severe danger for young people.
Social Media and online games are today’s virtual playground where maximum
cyberbullying takes place and its operational 24*7. Even the instant messengers
are a comfortable place for cyber bullies who entertain themselves by disregarding
others. Hiding behind a screen, they can easily pose a threat to your child.
The best foundation for protecting your child against cyberbully is by comfortably
talking to your children about their lives online as well as in real life.

2. Cyber Predators

Police detect thousands of online predators yearly, but only a few of them get
tracked and caught. They continuously try to make direct connections with the kids
via social media, video games, and many other platforms to attract the kids
inappropriately. They aim to lurk on social media and gaming platforms that appeal
to children. They not only affect a kid’s innocence but also exploit their
imagination.

3. Cell Phone Addiction

We see that the kids are always on the phones these days. The major reason is
that they have complete internet access. Their highest priority is to get full
information of their fellow mates, their lifestyle, eating habits, and day-to-day
activities. Online gaming is also an important way of communication among
children. These games require the constant presence of the player.
Some kids are facing nomophobia, a phenomenon where some kids can’t stop
using a smartphone. In such cases, a specialist is required to solve the issue.

4. Sexting

Teenagers have a different sense of humour. Not only can they bully their peers,
but they also send nudes to each other for fun. The images or videos are shared
via poorly secured and handled channels, hence the risk of getting those into the
predator’s hands increases.

5. Phishing

It is a cybercrime in which the targets are contacted by email, telephone, or text
messages by posing to be a legitimate institution so that the individual provides
their sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking, and credit
card details, and passwords, etc.
It is difficult for the kids to detect because the email will appear from someone
legitimate like a friend, family, or reliable link. So you need to teach your children
to avoid clicking on such links, texts, or emails from strangers.

6. Pornography

There are more than 40% of the kids who confess that they have seen porn online.
What is shocking is that 1 out of 16 kids is exposed to hard-core pornography.
Watching such things at an early age can negatively influence a kid’s mental
health. It can even mislead young minds regarding the relations between them and
their future partners.

7. Sexual Solicitation

It is believed that sexual abuse is only possible if the kid is befriended by a
predator, however, there is another source of danger where adults or peers of
their age group initiate such behaviour.
The majority of cases are performed by males between the age of 18-55 years
and the victims readily meet up with the abusers unknowingly in most cases.

8. Identity Theft

If the kid has an ID, they can become a victim of identity theft. Scammers use the
identity of the kids more frequently than others. The credit card of your kids is a
jackpot for criminals. So you need to be aware that your kids follow basic safety
measures on the internet.

9. Falling for Scams

Children are not going to fall out for anyone, but they might face the scams that
offer things they value. They may fall for free access to the internet or some
special features.

10. Malware Attacks

Scammers can use multiple ways to extract personal data from the users. Malware
is the most common one. When the kids are surfing the net, they may accidentally
install any malware masked as a game. As a result, the hardware can be affected
and the credit details can be stolen.

To Sum Up

The Internet is full of risks, but kids are more vulnerable to scammers and
predators. One of the best ways to protect your kids from the dangers of the
internet is by installing a mobile phone tracking app. Phone Agent 007 is a
good one, it allows you to keep an eye on your kids remotely.