Understand your child’s apps and games to keep them safe

Kids across Yorkshire will spend today and most of the rest of their vacation enjoying their new digital devices.

Young people are spending more time than ever in the online world. So here are some online safety tips for 2023. In some ways, kids are more savvy about the digital world than ever before, but here’s what’s important: Parents and guardians are fully aware of the potential harm they may encounter online.

As we have said many times on these pages, the best way to keep children and young people safe online is to have regular and open discussions about online safety. By having regular, informal chats rather than one-off lectures and showing interest in how they spend their time online, kids are more likely to talk to you if something upsets them. is higher. Online time occupies a lot of young people’s lives, so ask them what they do online the same way you ask them about their day at school or college. Don’t wait until you’re worried.

If they don’t want to talk to you, let them know they can talk to a trusted adult or Childline volunteer.

Protections that help limit the types of content your child can see, their favorite apps and games, and importantly, while you care about how they spend their time online. We recommend that you spend some time to understand the limits imposed by your users. Don’t forget to check your apps, sites and games’ privacy settings, especially your location settings. You have more control over what your kids can access, as well as what they can share and what others can see.

You can also do all this with your child. By doing this together, you will not only learn more about apps and games, but also how to report or block someone, and how to block material that upsets them. Remind them that they should talk to you when they start asking questions like this. If you’re worried your kids are spending too much time online, agree on some rules about how long they can use their devices or play certain games or apps. Involving your child in the process encourages them to think about how they spend their time online and helps them develop good online habits.

Watch out for signs that you need more support, such as withdrawing or being quiet, getting angry when you try to get near your device, mood swings, sleep or mental health problems, or behavioral changes. If you have concerns about your child, please call her NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.