97% of Kids Have Access to the Internet – Here’s How to Make Sure They’re Protected

When it comes to your child’s mental and physical health, limiting the time they spend online is a must. In fact, over half of parents (63%) believe that time online is negatively affecting their child’s health. But with the growth of technology and social media platforms being ever prevalent in our day-to-day lives, how do we safeguard our children?

Mrs Sam Cruz Thompson, Head of ICT at Abbot’s Hill, says: “Completely ignoring the advancements in technology and the internet isn’t going to help your children behave safer online. With peer pressure and the fear of missing out driving children to explore more topics online, and platforms like TikTok dominating our screens, protecting your children requires more effort than before.

“Parents now need to consider various factors, from limiting screen time to fostering tech-savviness from a young age, to ensure healthy internet interaction for their children.”

Children’s access to technology

According to recent Ofcom data, most households have access to the internet – meaning that 97% of children aged 0-18 had access to this form of technology. And while the technology could vary, the majority of children aged 3-17 accessed the internet through mobile phones (69%) and tablets (64%).

One of the top activities for young people when it comes to internet usage was streaming videos online, using platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. In fact, it was a nearly universal experience, with up to 96% of young people claiming to do this. Another activity with a high interaction rate for children was gaming, which nine out of ten children (89%) claimed to do.

As technology continues to develop, children’s understanding and usage of it will, too. While not every child will use the internet in the exact same way, there are many trends involving children and their access to technology.

Concerns for technology and children

Safer Internet have grouped potential online risks for children into four main concerns, content, conduct, contact, commercialism.

Conduct: Children may endanger themselves by oversharing online. They should understand the consequences of their digital footprint and know how to keep personal information secure. It's important to encourage them to report any inappropriate online interactions they encounter.

Content: Not all online content is suitable or reliable for children. We need to teach them how to assess the trustworthiness of information they find on the internet. It's also crucial that they're aware of legal issues related to copyrighted material.

Contact: Children should be cautious of online friends who may not be who they claim to be. It's a good idea to regularly review their friend lists and use privacy settings to control what information is shared. Any inappropriate contact or cyberbullying should be reported to the authorities. Make sure children know to tell a trusted adult if they ever feel uncomfortable online.

Commercialism: Advertising and hidden costs in apps and games can have a significant impact on children's online experience. We should advise them to keep their personal information private, block pop-ups and spam, and disable in-app purchases. Using a family email for online forms is also a smart practice.

The same report also looked at the top concerns for parents when it comes to their child’s internet usage. The largest concern for most parents (75%) was a child seeing something inappropriate for their age. With the high level of content streaming from children online, it is a natural concern for parents when it comes to their little one’s online usage. Another concern parents raised was the worry their child would be bullied online (70%).

Mrs Sam Cruz Thompson says: “As parents, you want to protect your children’s mental health where possible, and with hurtful comments and bullying being prevalent online, it is no wonder this is such a big concern. Not only do we have to consider their physical health, getting more children into physical activities and away from gaming and scrolling, but their mental health is also a priority when it comes to creating tech-savvy children.”

How to encourage safe technology usage

Awareness

One way to encourage little ones, even from an early age, to consider their technology usage is through awareness. Initiatives in schools often cover safe internet usage and how to avoid scams and dangers online. By undergoing these courses and creating an open discussion within your home around who your children are talking to online, you can better safeguard them from the dangerous sides of the internet – ensuring they can enjoy their time online as safely as possible.

Safety settings

Another way is to control your child’s safety settings. Depending on their age, there will be safety settings you can apply to make it safer for them online. This can limit the content they see, the apps they can access, the amount of time they spend online, as well as tracking conversations and other activities online. Technologies such as mobile phones and tablets can be set up to provide parents with the authorisation access needed to access new sites and applications, so you know your child cannot access something they shouldn’t.

Increase tech literacy

Assisting your children to make the safest and tech-savvy decisions for themselves can include improving their tech literacy. It is important that all children have an understanding of what they can do online, how to control appropriate settings and better ways of knowing if a site is trustworthy or not.

Mrs Sam Cruz Thompson says “As technology becomes an even bigger part of our lives, we are seeing younger and younger children have the tech literacy that goes beyond adult understanding at times. As they explore and understand these technologies quicker, it is best to make sure they have the support, guidance, and right information in place to ensure that they have the best understanding of the dangers and uses of the internet. Teachers can be a good place for more guidance if you’re unsure how to introduce more of this into your home.”

How to limit usage within the home

Lead by example

Limiting technology usage in the home has its uses. Not only can it prevent your children from becoming potentially addicted to or reliant on technology, but it can also encourage them to explore more hobbies that suit their personalities.

One way to limit technology usage at home is to lead by example. It isn’t always easy, especially if you need to bring work back to the home setting, but by limiting your own technology at home, you can encourage children from a young age to do the same. If this is established in your home, your children will learn to interact the same way without the need for technology.

Introduce activities during downtimes

Activities are a must if you’re trying to cut down internet time, especially if you have children who are previously used to sitting in front of a screen. Introducing family sports and crafts or helping your children cook with you can encourage them to put the technology down for some time.

Mrs Sam Cruz Thompson says “Activities are vital for encouraging children to step away from their technology. Most children use their mobile phones and tablets as a distraction, so simply putting the TV on won’t help. Instead, start introducing extra-curricular activities, after school clubs or family activities to encourage everyone to spend some extra bonding time away from the screen.”

Structured routine

Having a structured routine from an early age can help avoid a technology addiction. You don’t want to be going to bed to find your little ones still watching YouTube late at night. Setting a structured routine where technology is left alone an hour before bed can help your child remove their reliance on technology for sleep and even improve their sleep hygiene.

Family mealtimes without technology can also be a great way of removing the internet from dinner and encouraging your children to interact as a family unit without the influence of a screen.

Teaching your children to be tech-savvy is a must for their safety online. No child is going to avoid the internet forever, but by giving them the tools, structure, and information they need to be safe, you can have some peace of mind when your child is spending time online. And this way, they can enjoy it more.