We’re living in an age that has made it very necessary for your children to know how to use mobile devices, especially if they are to be active participants in this digital age. Everything is happening digitally and most school curricula are centred on technological advancement. Mobile devices play an important role in education, from making is quick and easy for your children to access the information they need for their homework, to providing a seamless platform for teachers to assign the work. Moreover, mobile devices enhance the learning experience. The downside of mobile devices is that they make it easy for damaging content to be shared and your children become easy targets of cyberbullying. There are ways in which you can protect your children from the damaging effects of mobile technology without robbing them of the benefits of using it. 

 

 

Have a good understanding of the technology

If you are to ensure that your children use technology safely, you need to have a good understanding of the technology itself. You have to be familiar with the gadgets they are using and understand how to use them so that you know how to block certain features or add features that will protect your child from harmful content. If you know how to use these mobile devices and have an understanding of the technology, you will also be able to know if your child is hiding something from you. Moreover, this knowledge equips you to help your children with homework that requires the use of mobile technology.

Talk to your child about Internet safety

The worst thing you could do is to rob your child of the opportunity to use and understand mobile technology just because of the threats that are out there in the World Wide Web. Once you are aware of the dangers of mobile technology, sit down with your children and talk to them about the dangers that exist and make them understand that their safety is your priority. Set the parameters for their interaction with technology and help them understand why you put certain limitations in place. Create an environment that will make it easier for your children to speak to you about issues such as cyberbullying. It’s very important to make it easy for your child to speak to you about everything, doing this will make it easy for your child to be transparent with you about anything related to their life online.

 

 

Make sure their mobile device doesn’t affect your child’s marks

As aforementioned, mobile technology has become an important part of the education process however, it can also distract children and affect their academics. Keep an eye on your child’s marks and if you notice a significant change after they receive a phone, consider talking to their teacher and making sure they do not use their phone for anything else but their education. This one will be tricky since you don’t go to class with your child, this is why working hand-in-hand with their teachers is so important. The last thing you want is your child to fall behind in class because of their phone.

Monitor your child’s Internet use

This is very important because it protects your children from content that is violent, inappropriate or salacious in manner. If you find anything untoward in your child’s browser history, it’s important to talk to them about why certain content is not appropriate for them. You need to also find out how to block certain sites and there are apps that can help you do that. The point is not to make your child fear the Internet, they need to understand that it’s not completely safe and that there are ways for them to have a good experience.

 

 

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