The Internet And Your Children

As your child gets older, he or she will probably spend more time online. There are many positives about being online like staying connected with friends and family, pursuing hobbies, and being part of a community. But it’s not always a safe and positive experience for children. UNICEF offers tips to ensure a safer digital footprint. HEALTH PIONEERS report

Set clear ground rules

Have an honest conversation with your child about who they communicate with, how, and who can see what they post online.

Explain that anything that appears online – pictures, videos, comments, things they share with others and what others post and share with them and about them – leaves a trace information about them. To ensure that they are leaving a positive “digital footprint,” they should be mindful of what they do and say online.

Make sure they understand that discriminatory or inappropriate contact is never acceptable. No one should spread rumors or share hurtful or embarrassing stories or images. What seems like a harmless joke to one person can be deeply hurtful to another.

If your child experiences something online that makes them feel uncomfortable, uncomfortable, or scared, encourage them to tell you or a trusted adult immediately.

Children often “know” the perpetrators of online harassment or abuse, so it is important to help them be vigilant and know how to respond to any problematic behavior they encounter online.

Work with your child to establish rules about how, when, and where they use devices.

Think before posting

Think carefully before posting anything online, especially if you are upset or angry. Once you share a message, photo or video, it’s hard to control what happens to it. Taking it down is almost impossible.

And remember that you have a right to privacy – and so does everyone else. Do not log into other people’s accounts, use their phones without their permission, or share their information or photos.

Use technology to protect them

Check that your child’s device is kept up to date and running the latest software and that privacy settings are enabled and configured to minimize data collection so people don’t see any information that you don’t want them to see.

Help your child learn to keep personal information private. If your privacy settings aren’t secure, anyone can see your information.

Keep the webcam covered when not in use. For young children, tools like parental controls like safe search can help maintain a positive online experience.

Be cautious with free online resources, including educational ones. If your child is asked to provide their photo or full name, make sure it’s a trustworthy website.

Think before sharing

You can change the privacy settings on your social media platforms to help you control who sees your information – including your location.

Think carefully about what you share with whom. Don’t share personal information like your address, phone number or bank details. And don’t share your password with anyone – not even close friends!

Spend time online with them

Create opportunities for your child to interact safely and positively online with friends, family, and you. Connecting with others can be a great opportunity for you to demonstrate kindness and empathy during virtual interactions.

Help your children recognize and avoid misinformation, disinformation, age-inappropriate content, and potentially disturbing or other harmful content. Introduce them to reliable sources of information.

Children may be exposed to ads that promote unhealthy foods, gender stereotypes, or material that is not age-appropriate. Help them recognize online advertisements and take the opportunity to explore together what is wrong with some of the negative messages you see.

Spend time with your child identifying age-appropriate apps, games, and other online entertainment. Be wary of apps that may contain harmful content or pose privacy risks.

Modeling healthy online habits

Promote positive online behavior by practicing it yourself. Be mindful of the example you set and what you share online about your children, including photos and videos of them.

Encourage your children to be kind online and support friends and family by sending positive messages or emojis.

If they have online classes, encourage them to respect others and pay attention to what is visible on camera to maintain privacy.

Be wary if your child appears uncomfortable or secretive with online activities. Reassure them that being abused or harassed is never their fault and that they should not keep it a secret.

Become familiar with your school’s digital learning policies.

Find local helplines and resources on the latest issues in keeping children safe online and how to report cyberbullying or inappropriate content.

Think before accepting

Before accepting a friend request, you should look at their profile – and try to see who they are.

Do you have mutual friends? Are you from the same town? Don’t feel pressured to accept random friend requests. Sometimes people pretend to be someone they’re not and it’s hard to know whether they’re telling the truth or not.

Let them have fun and express themselves

Spending time online can be a great opportunity for your child to be creative, learn, use their voice to share their opinions, and advocate for causes that are important to them.

Encourage your child to use internet resources to help them get up and move, such as online exercise videos for children and video games that require physical activity.

Remember to balance online activities with an active lifestyle and offline entertainment for a healthy balance in all aspects of life.

Cyberbullying may lead to higher risk of eating disorders: Study

Cyberbullying can lead to low self-esteem, body image dissatisfaction, and unhealthy efforts to control weight, which can affect the risk of health problems mental illness, including eating disorder symptoms. Research shows that cyberbullying may lead to a higher risk of eating disorder symptoms in 10-14 year olds. Research shows that both being a victim of cyberbullying and perpetrating cyberbullying pose a higher risk of experiencing eating disorder symptoms, such as worrying about weight gain, attachment self-worth based on weight, binge eating, and suffering from binge eating.

“Cyberbullying can lead to low self-esteem, body image dissatisfaction and unhealthy weight control efforts,” said lead author Chloe M. Cheng, a medical student at the University. strength, which in turn may influence the risk of mental health problems, including eating disorder symptoms.” California, San Francisco (UCSF).

The study, published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, is based on data from 11,875 children aged 10-14 years in the US. The children answered questions about whether they had been victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying, as well as whether they had experienced eating disorder symptoms.

About 9.5% of adolescents in the study reported having been victims of lifetime cyberbullying, and 1.1% had experienced lifetime cyberbullying. Cheng also suggested that clinicians consider assessing symptoms of eating disorders and cyberbullying in adolescents and provide guidance on prediction.

Jason M. Nagata, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at UCSF suggests “adolescents limit social media that encourages eating disorders and appearance comparisons.” “Parents should advise their children to avoid cyberbullying and encourage them to report online harassment if it occurs,” Nagata said.