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The Online World: Risks And Opportunities For Older Kids

When all you need to do to apply for your next job is an online click from your favorite CV storage platform, or when you can transfer money with the press of a fingertip, it’s easy to understand how crucial digital skills are. As a parent, it’s natural to want to protect your child for as long as possible. However, it has become essential to introduce your kids to the possibilities of the online world. While it doesn’t mean that you should get them a laptop and let them discover it for themselves, your responsibility is to make sure that they understand the potential dangers of careless digital use and the embrace the advantages of mindful and intelligence digital tech interactions. Indeed, modern generations have to become familiar with digital technology at an early age, as it is now part of their education and their professional life. So how can you best ensure that your kids get to see the best of the online world while staying away from its worst side? 



Let them know about the risks

You will need to warn your kids about the risks of online safety. Indeed, as much as you want them to have the best experience of the online world, knowing about its dangers can help them to stay safe. Your kids need to know that not everybody online is a potential friend. Revealing personal information can be dramatically damaging. Consequently, you need to help them to identify the signs, from someone asking for a picture to an unknown contact trying to find out where they live. Naturally, you should make it your duty to ensure that your online connection is secure, so that predators have no way of gathering confidential information. Nevertheless, teaching your kids how to maintain a safe behavior online is an essential part of their social education. 


They can develop their skills

Contrary to the common belief, video games are not as damaging as you might think, especially if the interaction is kept at a small dose. For instance, if your kid decide to step into Final Fantasy 15, he or she will experience a new way to boost essential problem-solving skills. Indeed, games help people to develop their creativity and think outside the box, which are necessary skills to perform in society. Additionally, if you’re worried about the potential socialization damages of gaming, you should know that MMO games promote community behaviors and positive exchanges.  



Escapism is good in small doses

However, “the difference between medicine and poison is in the dose.” While in small doses, gaming can provide the level of escapism that kids need to develop additional skills and de-stress, living entirely in a fantasy world can prevent them from thinking and engaging in meaning interactions. As a parent, you need to establish a rule for going online: Too much online engagement can be fatal to the development of your child’s mental health and cognitive abilities. As a rule of the thumb, you need to count digital time as part of their daily TV allowance, if you are trying to establish boundaries for passive hobbies. 

From discovering new ways of thinking to annihilating all thinking abilities, the digital world needs to be part of a controlled environment for kids. Don’t forbid them from going online, but make sure that they are aware of all the risks. 

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