Category: Online Safety for Kids

The virtual world is a constant source of dangers and challenges, especially if the users are children. Therefore, parents should always be aware of their actions and take the proper measurements to protect them.  Blocking harmful social media apps is one of key ways to prevent kids from engaging online in an unsafe manner.

Without using third party parental controls, there are ways to engage blocking for both apps and websites.  However, these types of restrictions can be reset by your kids. Therefore, you’ll need to have a level of trust between you and your child. You can always check their phone from time to time to ensure blocking is still in place.

This article does not provide instructions on how to create block lists on a phone or tablet.  Google “how to block apps” for iPhone or Andriods to get instructions within each of the phones settings.  In the meantime, here are the top sites that are considered dangerous to be used by children:

1.   TikTok

While TikTok is a fun site to spend time and interact with people, there are certainly some dangers associated with this app, which include:

• Inappropriate Content:  As an open platform, anyone can post all kinds of content on TikTok, including adult themes, violence, or other indecent content.

• Cyberbullying:  Users interact with each other constantly, which can often lead to cyberbullying.

• Privacy Concerns: TikTok collects personal information from its users, which can be used for advertising or shared with third-party advertisers.

• Addiction: TikTok is designed to be addictive, and children spend hours scrolling through videos without even realizing how much time has passed. This interferes with their schoolwork and overall well-being.

• Online Strangers: Children may be drawn into inappropriate conversations or take up with someone who is not who they claim to be.

2.   Twitter

While there are some great advantages to using Twitter, including staying up-to-date on the news and connecting with people, there are also some serious risks that parents need to be aware of. Inappropriate or unwanted content on Twitter can take many forms, including exposure to adult content and cyberbullying.

3.   Mastodon

Though Mastodon can an easy way for people to connect with like minded people, it has great potential for danger because these online communities are unmonitored.  It’s an open source social network, so there are no controls in place to monitor or prevent harmful associations or content.  It’s only safe if the creator a community your child joins can be trusted.

4.   Roblox

Roblox isn’t just a game–it’s a massive online platform with millions of users. And like any large social media platform or online game, there are risks. But by being aware of the dangers and taking some proactive steps, you can help keep your child safe while they enjoy all that Roblox offers.

5.   Ask.fm

Ask.fm is a somewhat unknown social media site to parents.  It allows users to ask and answer questions anonymously. Even though interacting with others can be fun and engaging, it also poses risks to children. Anonymity can make it easier for bullies to target others without fear of consequences. Users can receive hurtful comments and messages, and in some cases, cyberbullying has even led to suicide.

6.   Toomics

Toomics is a webtoon platform with many online comics and graphic novels. While it can be an enjoyable and engaging platform for readers, some of the comics on the site feature explicit material and depictions of violence. In some cases, the content may be illegal or inappropriate for minors.

To prevent these risks, parents should monitor their children’s use of Toomics and have open conversations about online safety.

7.   Reddit

Reddit is a great platform to share information and build a community, yet it is another not-too-safe app for children. One of the primary risks associated with it is exposure to adult content. Some subreddits contain explicit material which users of any age can easily access. This content can include pornography, graphic images, and discussions of sexually explicit topics.

Reddit allows for anonymous posting, allowing users to engage in bullying without fear of reprisal. This can include hurtful comments, trolling, and other negative behavior.

8.   Snapchat

Snapchat is known for its disappearing messages and photos, which can lead children to believe that their actions will not have consequences. They can share inappropriate content with their friends.

The temporary nature of Snapchat’s messages can make it easier for predators to approach children. They may use the app to send inappropriate messages or images and quickly delete them to avoid detection. Children are more likely to accept friend requests from strangers on Snapchat, which can put them at risk.

Snapchat has a feature called Snap Map, which allows users to see the location of their friends on a map. This is dangerous for children, as it can reveal their whereabouts to potentially dangerous individuals.

9.   Discord

Discord allows users to communicate through voice, text, and video chat. While it’s useful for gamers and others who want to connect with like-minded individuals, it has the potential for cyberbullying. Discord has chat rooms and servers that anyone can create and moderate, making it easier for users to engage in bullying.

Another risk of Discord is exposure to explicit content. Although Discord has rules against explicit content, it’s still possible for users to share inappropriate images or videos.

10.  YouTube

While YouTube is a useful and engaging platform for users of all ages, it poses several dangers for children.

Using YouTube is an exposure to inappropriate content. Although YouTube has content filters and age restrictions in place, it’s still possible for children to stumble upon videos that contain explicit material or depictions of violence. This includes content that is not appropriate for their age, such as horror movies, sexual content and depictions of dangerous or harmful behavior.

YouTube comment sections can be a breeding ground for negative behavior, with users leaving hurtful comments or engaging in trolling. Children can be particularly vulnerable to these kinds of attacks and may be unable to handle them.

Conclusion

Parents know how important it is to protect their children from online danger. From cyberbullying platforms to explicit content, the 10 sites featured in this blog post are essential additions to any child’s block list. Parents can protect their children against tremendous danger and damage scrolling in the virtual world by doing so.

Author’s Bio:  With years of experience in the cyber security industry, Sophia has devoted a part of her time to writing articles that educate parents about the importance of their children’s online safety. Children of all ages, especially those in elementary and high schools, are constantly exposed to new technologies. Through her writings, she aspires to make a positive impact on their lives by helping parents identify and avoid potential dangers.

There are a lot of conversations that parents should have with their kids that are difficult. Unfortunately, topics of a sensitive nature dissuade many parents from bringing them up. For one, they don’t want to inform their kids of something they might not yet know about. Things that existing online that would be harmful to their psyche.

Still, you also don’t want your kids stubmbling upon something harmful by accident will searching Google or clicking other links found on seemingly innocent websites. Since kids use our website for filtering the internet, we will explore this subject with sensitivity as we present the problem and various solutions with downloadable resources.

Protecting Kids from Explicit Content

It’s no secret that there is explicit material online that’s available to anyone with any device that has access to the internet. At some point in the growth of your child, they will learn about them at school, even if they have not yet explored the internet for them. We’ll discuss steps as to the best age to have a conversation with kids about these things and what to do in the meantime.

It would be ideal if all explicit material was at least behind a pay wall. This means a credit card is required to access it, and not a free for all that is currently is.

Cable companies have long provided this adult material to subscribers. However, parents can easily set up parental controls on their cable box to access even the simple preview images of the material.  Beyond that, payment is required and any purchase would show up on your bill. Therefore, access has a high threshold for kids.

The internet is far from that model, although some countries have tried some form of retricting harmful parts of the internet unavailable to under aged web users.  The bottom line is this.  Societies are reluctant to move forward for a variety of reasons that we will not explore here. In a nutshell, they are issues of censorship and the will to make it happen.  That’s another conversation.

As mentioned, most children learn about this explicit content from friends or on the school playground before parents address the problem. The age this happens varies and a lot of where it goes from that point forward has to do with how much a parent is paying attention. There may be an assumption that “my child wouldn’t know about that”.

First Steps to Protect  Kids Online

So, what is the solution to ensure internet safety and it’s many facets?

Firstly, there are things that a parent can do even before they discuss it with their family members.  Precautions should be taken at an early age so that at very least, kids don’t accidentally stumble upon mature content online.

Use Common Sense

These steps include common sense restrictions of where your child uses their device to access the internet.

• It is in the family room or in the privacy of their bedroom?

• Do they have access to the internet while at school on a personal device via cell service?

• Does the school have internet filtering when kids are connected to the school’s WiFi connection?

Without any external monitoring software, you can at least keep an eye on things.

Get to Know the Parents of your Child’s Friends

This is conversation that should take place with other parents. What are their household rules for internet use if your child is going to be visiting their friend’s home?  Do other parents share similar values as you?

Free Safe Search Options

Have your kids use Safe Search Kids as their main search engine. It delivers Google results with strict filtering. It’s does not replace full time monitoring, as we will touch on later in this article.

An Agreement of Trust between Parent and Child

Regardless of how deep you go without child about the “bad things” of the internet, kids can understand rules of engagement around the use of their devices.   Just as you want to protect them when they do play in the park, a child can agree that you want to protect them online. This includes how much time they spend playing games.

Filtering the Internet

General tips are well and good, but ultimately third party parental control filtering and monitoring is needed to provide the ultimate in peace of mind.  At the very least it notifies you when a child has breached a barrier. This is ideal when kids are older and you have set up an agreement of trust without fully blocking them even questionable material online.  Of course, when kids are young parental controls allow you to but strict filtering in place. This can include limiting access to the internet to specific times and restricting more risky social media apps.

Having the Difficult Conversation

When parents feel it’s time to discuss the dangers of the internet, the terminology used will depend on the age of the child. However, the fact that there is material you don’t want your kids to see demands some kind of acknowledgment and expression to your children about how you are concerned. In the meantime, basic steps, regular conversations and external filtering options can set every family up for success, whether they are at home, at school, or out playing with friends.

Below are some resources to assist parents, as well as online tools that can help begin the conversation and make it less uncomforable for children of all ages.

Resources:

• Chatting with Kids About Being Online – PDF Download
• Educational games that test kids internet savvy.
• Take the Safety Pledge as a Family
• Be Internet Awesome

Safe Search Kids is devoted to safer internet search for children and teens. We also provide articles and educational resources for parents and teachers.  Children can freely search Google without a parent’s fearing their child stumbling upon an explicit website. The worst of the internet is vehemently blocked and even mildly questionable content is filtered.

Additional search filtering is provided for images, wiki for kids, images, videos, and safe game search. While our website is a free resource that at a mimimum helps protect the search function of the internet, we believe that parental controls are the best defence to protect kids online.

The e-gaming market has grown rapidly in recent years, thanks to more potential for digitization and improved accessibility and OEMs, focused on innovation and cost. But this has led to some unexpected issues that affect individuals, especially kids.  With technology being such an important aspect of everyone’s lives, the gaming business is also thriving.

In terms of revenue, the video game market has more than doubled in the last five years and is expected to exceed $221 billion by the end of 2022. However, players are mainly concerned about mobile gaming, which will account for 80% of total revenue contribution.

Why Mobile Gaming has Become So Popular?

Gaming PCs and consoles like the Xbox or Sony PlayStation are still considered a luxury in many homes. On the contrary, playing games on your phone is less expensive. It facilitates newcomers’ integration into the ecosystem. The same games that run on high-end specialized gaming phones and flagship smartphones are also accessible on budget and mid-range phones with decreased graphic and framerate settings.

Portability is more important to the gamers of this generation than performance. While PCs offer higher graphics and performance, cell phones will always outperform PCs in terms of mobility and portability. Because of the pandemic, there has also been a worldwide scarcity of graphics cards. The issue has had a significant impact on the entire supply chain.

Because mobile phones are not upgradeable nor have hardware that can be customized, they provide the convenience of not having to upgrade every few years. Smartphones have become more affordable and now include strong technology capable of running games with moderate to high system needs.

It has increased the accessibility of more immersive games to the general population. Qualcomm Vice President and President Rajen Vagadia claim that the company has had to update its GPUs (graphics processing units) over 700 times in the last 12 years due to user demand. This means that even smartphone GPUs have seen so much advancement that they can run most games without any performance issues.

Smartphones have also become a lot speedier in a short amount of time, especially considering that Android and iOS devices are not even two decades old. Mobile graphics, immersive gameplay, performance, and cloud-based gaming services have all experienced significant improvements. All while maintaining ease of entry for gamers.

All of these factors have made mobile gaming popular over the last few years. And unsurprisingly the majority of gamers now consider smartphones as their preferred device for gaming.

What Problems Arise Due to Online Gaming?

Because of the advent of mobile gaming and the removal of restraints such as a big PC or console, young gamers may now take advantage of this vast industry. However, several of these games, particularly those geared at children, have raised security concerns. There appears to be no answer in sight for parents who want to monitor what their children are doing on their phones.

Children necessitate the aid of their parents or guardians. They will encounter cyberbullying and online harassment whether they use their phones for gaming or surfing the Internet. If they perform poorly in-game, many players are verbally harassed and intimidated.

It is really concerning, especially for young children who are unprepared for such risks. They are unsure how to respond to such threats. They keep these concerns hidden deep within themselves and are afraid to address them with anyone because they fear they might feel it’s their fault they got targeted.

Then there is the issue of blatant sexism and sexual harassment of female gamers. Guys when realize they are playing with or against a female will automatically assume they are bad at the game and pass off offensive remarks and disguise them as just teasing or fooling around. They will remark on things along the line that they should be doing house chores instead of gaming.

They will also pass off lewd comments about their voice and sex and make them purposefully uncomfortable. Similarly, if the person, is gay or of a different race, they will comment on their sexuality and race and be toxic on purpose just to seem cool. Homophobic and racist remarks are sadly still a major point of contention and something that is still not abdicated.

Even the monetization system of these games is very obnoxious and in your face. The loot crate system in games like Fortnite, Overwatch, and Elder Scrolls Online attracts young kids to spend money on cosmetic items so they can impress their friends with cool new skins for their characters and weapons. EU considers this gambling and has even banned games like these in the past.

Remember the Counter-Strike gambling fiasco a few years back? A few YouTubers were pushing an online gambling website where you could use real money to win Counter-Strike in-game cosmetics. Because children are unaware of the consequences and addiction linked with gambling, it made quite a commotion in the media.

What Can Parents Do?

Parents can use the most recent technology breakthroughs to provide immediate aid if they fear their child’s online safety is at risk. To protect their children’s online gaming and mobile gaming experience, parents can use a phone monitoring tool. XNSPY is one such example. It is a dependable remote monitoring solution that is compatible with iOS and Android and can make the internet a safe place for kids.

To keep check of their children’s phone activity, parents can use XNSPY’s remote screen monitoring service. Furthermore, the application prevents children from viewing potentially dangerous websites and online gaming platforms. XNSPY’s advanced tracking capabilities safeguard users against online fraud and malware attacks.

Since most of these attacks can also occur in online games, the program assists parents in tracking their children’s mobile games so that they do not fall victim to similar scams, harassment, or bullying which has become increasingly common over the past few years. Parents can use the app blocker function found in the XNSPY app and block the apps that have a bad reputation for cultivating a toxic gaming environment.

The Future of Online and Mobile Gaming

Gaming has long been popular among youth and as technology advances, it is getting easier for phone users to download and play games on their cell phones. The number of online mobile gaming apps has increased significantly because developers and OEMs know it is a gold mine and they are taking full advantage of it by doing the minimum effort.

They will continue to monetize their games with greedy loot crates and pointless cosmetics because they are easy to generate and they can recycle the same content and remodel game assets over and over again.

Cybercrime is becoming increasingly common, especially with the availability of these games on mobile phones. The majority of children are still overly reliant on their parents to monitor what they are exposed to online.

Fortunately, with monitoring apps in the mix and proper Internet safety guidelines, parents may breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to protecting their children’s internet activities and gaming habits. They now have something to safeguard their kids from the never-ending trend of global eSports and smartphone gaming.

More and more children are using smartphones, tablets and laptops for playing games, reading, watching cartoons and learning. It’s difficult to separate everyday life from computer use. Parents themselves determine how often children will use technology and what exactly they will do.

From researching articles to exploring news in the media, taking an online class, connecting on social media, or passing the time playing a game, it will always be a challenge to manage what a child does online.  So, it only make sense to properly teach a child how to effectively and safely us a computer, tablet or smart phone.

The computer does not harm itself: content and time of use are important

Much as been written about the dangers of computers. Constant use of a computer by children can lead to vision problems, poor posture and diseases of the back and neck, dermatitis and breathing problems.  Experts also point to how technology can harm a child’s psyche.  Most likely, they mean the impact of computer games and dangerous content on the behavior of children and adolescents.

The Department of Education in Northern Ireland names roughly the same risks: postural problems, photosensitive epilepsy, uncontrolled consumption of content. WHO pays the most attention to the fact that children spend time at computers instead of moving more and playing outdoors.

Vision

Doctors have long believed that screen flicker aggravates nearsightedness, and have recommended working at a computer only with a protective screen. But studies conducted over 20 years have shown that the computer does not harm vision, although it can cause computer vision syndrome (CVS), which includes eye fatigue and headaches.  Permanent impairment to vision due to Myopia is affected by heredity and lack of ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, it is more important for a child to walk in the fresh air in order to maintain vision.

Problems with the muscles of the back and neck

The researchers interviewed more than 400 children in New York schools and found that the back and neck are more likely to hurt those who sit at the computer more. The study was small, but the same data is given in the Hopkins University guide. The compilers warn that those who sit at the computer for a long time develop not only back and neck problems, but also injuries from repetitive deformities, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. To avoid these risks, children should take breaks every half an hour and study in comfortable chairs.

Impact of dangerous content

Psychologists often say that children who play violent computer games or watch violent videos are more aggressive than others. Scientists at Dartmouth College conducted a meta-analysis of such studies and saw that children who play violent computer games are more likely to fight in school and on the street, damage property, such as school furniture. But the research doesn’t tell us what’s causing and what’s the effect — it’s possible that initially more aggressive kids are more likely to play violent computer games.

It seems that the more children stay at home, the more they are exposed to dangerous content. In a 2011 study, scientists saw that children rarely use the Internet in an unsafe way, that is, they rarely go to sites with dangerous content and rarely leave their data on sites, download harmful programs from them. At the same time, in 2020, Unicef ​​reported that due to the lockdown and the transition to distance learning, the risks of dangerous content for children have increased, and they need to be protected.

Little mobility

The more children spend on computers and smartphones, the less they move. This is reported by the American Association of Pediatricians and Psychiatrists and considers it one of the main risks for the development of children. From swaddle wrap parents set out to protect their children.  They grow quickly and it’s not long before they are using computers or tablets. Movement is important for development, for example, WHO considers time spent at the computer as harmful as time spent in a stroller or crib for children under four years of age. In addition, it is the movement in the fresh air that reduces the risks associated with eye diseases.

Game addiction

By gambling addiction, you need to understand that the child not only spends a lot of time playing games, but does not see the benefit and pleasure in other activities. It just doesn’t matter how much time you play. A longitudinal study of 11,000 British schoolchildren concluded that there was no difference in behavior between children playing for one hour and three hours.

But if teenagers sit at games longer, then this affects health first of all. Indian University research says that most teenagers who play computer games have high heart rate and blood pressure due to too much anxiety and stress.

The computer helps in learning, socialization and self-control

Emotional well-being

Researchers at Oxford University found that children who play computer games for one to three hours a day have fewer emotional problems and are more satisfied with life than those who do not play the computer and than those who play it constantly. Apparently, they are able to show some of the negative emotions in the game and get rid of them. At the same time, those who play a lot, apparently, are more tired and do not feel so good.

Self control

In the same study, it turned out that children who play from one to three hours a day experience fewer problems with self-control and less prone to becoming addicted to their mobile phone.  They are also less likely to have problems with hyperactivity.

Help learning

A study by the British National Literacy Foundation found that children between the ages of three and five enjoy e-books more than regular ones. Apparently, this is due to the fact that it is easier for children to interact with e-books.

Cognitive psychologist Heather Kirkorian confirms these data and says that there is nothing harmful for children in the very use of computers and e-books. If children play educational games, learn letters and numbers, it only benefits them.

True, there is a feeling that this only works for preschoolers and younger students. Researchers debate whether there is a difference in academic performance between those who use computers and play games and those who do not. In 2013, economists Farley and Robinson did not find this difference, but in a survey study, specialists from the University of California found it.

Social ties are bigger and stronger

According to the same study by Farley and Robinson, having access to computers helps kids build social connections, and not just online. They had more social connections, not only virtual, but also real.  Still, parents struggle with how early they should allow their kids to use social media.

According to preliminary results, children who accidentally received a free computer regularly interacted with more friends than students without computers. They also spent more time interacting with these friends in person. And there was no tangible difference in cyberbullying experience.

Researchers who have studied preschoolers who use and do not use computers have come up with similar results. The former showed more social skills and fewer behavior problems.

Helps develop critical thinking

Researchers from Redbud University have shown that role-playing and strategy games help develop critical thinking and develop reflection. That is, the child learns to ask the right questions, to separate the important from the unimportant – and shooters and other action games do not affect these skills in any way. But, of course, games cannot be the only source of development of critical thinking.