Category: Online Safety for Kids

While the term “substance exposure” is most commonly used in the context of a woman using substances during pregnancy (and the effects this has on the baby), today we’ll focus on a different aspect: substance exposure on the internet.

In our day and age, substances are all over the internet, and your child will likely encounter them in one way or another – whether through news stories, social media, or even indirectly: through their friends who came across something online.

To reduce this exposure, you can take certain precautions. In this article, we’ll discuss what substance exposure on the internet is and how you can protect your child. Stay tuned for valuable insights!

What is substance exposure on the internet?

As we mentioned in the introduction, “substance exposure” is typically used in a different context, but it can also describe how young people learn about drugs—not just their consequences, but what certain drugs do and how they can obtain them. The internet is a vast pool of information, and with just a few clicks, anyone can learn anything – from how to cook pasta in the most effortless way to how to obtain illegal substances. This freedom of information can be a troublesome double-edged sword. Fortunately, there are steps parents can take to protect their children from early exposure to drugs online, steps that could help prevent risky behaviors later in life.

How big of a deal is substance exposure?

In other words, should we be worried? First, let’s examine whether there has been any research on the relationship between substance exposure on the internet and consumption, and if so, what the data reveals.

While there still aren’t papers that examine the relationship most directly, one study published in Health Affairs concluded that the rise of illegal online pharmacies has made it a lot easier for young people to obtain prescription drugs without actually having them prescribed. Additionally, the researchers believe that the increase in internet use may be linked to higher rates of prescription drug abuse in the US. Although the study has some limitations, it highlights the need for better monitoring.

Even Forbes has covered it: the internet is overflowing with recipes and DIY guides; a clever teen can easily find step-by-step instructions on everything from growing marijuana to getting high off common household items.

The role of pop culture and media

It’s not just recipes and consumption guides we need to worry about; pop culture – through popular music, movies, and TV shows – also plays a significant role in exposing young people to various substances. Think about how many popular songs today glorify some kind of substance use.

The influence of pop culture’s most successful export – music – isn’t to be taken lightly.

How to protect your child from substance exposure on the internet?

Let’s take a closer look at what you can do to prevent your children from being exposed to substances on the internet at an early age.

Stay up to date (be informed)

Knowing where to find the right information and staying up to date on how children can be exposed to substances online is key to better prevention. It’s always best to learn from trustworthy sources that offer expert insights. Resources like Little Creek Recovery offer expert advice on recognizing early warning signs and creating an open dialogue with your child about the risks of substance use. Prevention is always better than the cure and staying informed will help you gain a decent advantage necessary for keeping your children safe and sound.

Set up digital safeguards (SafeSearch)

You can enhance your child’s online safety by familiarizing yourself with the privacy and security settings on their devices. Begin by learning how to activate SafeSearch on search engines to filter out inappropriate content. Utilize parental controls to block unsuitable apps and restrict access to specific websites. If you need further guidance, don’t hesitate to seek help from IT experts, consult trusted online resources, or contact your device’s customer support.

Monitor your kids’ online activities (eyes wide open)

While some might find this as an intrusion of privacy, monitoring your kids’ online activities is a key part of keeping them safe in the digital world. Placing the family computer in a shared space makes it easier to spot what websites they’re visiting. Also, regularly checking the browser history can give you insights into their online habits, and if you notice any deleted history, it might be time for a chat.

Once they have their own phone, consider installing a parental monitoring app. These apps can track internet activities and even alert you if your child tries to access risky content or uses concerning phrases like “sneaking out” or “don’t tell anyone.”

Limit screen time (being a little strict won’t hurt)

You’re probably already doing this, but if not, you should start. Limiting your kids’ screen time is important to encourage them to spend time offline, enjoy activities with friends, and play outside, just like you did when you were young. Of course, each generation has its own way of having fun, and cutting your kids off the internet entirely isn’t really the answer. However, a bit of limitation can be very beneficial. It’s not about being overly strict or conservative; many professionals agree that managing screen time is crucial for your children’s optimal growth.

Talk to your kids about substances (in an age-appropriate manner)

You can’t discuss substance abuse with your six-year-old the same way you would with a twelve-year-old, and even a twelve-year-old may not fully grasp the topic. However, it’s important to find an age-appropriate way to talk to your children about substances. Encourage open communication and stress that substances, whether legal or illegal, are not a solution to life’s challenges. If your children are old enough, sharing your own experiences in a straightforward, non-alarming manner can help them understand better.

Conclusion

Keeping your children safe from substance exposure on the internet or elsewhere is a crucial part of parenting. While it might feel like you’re going to become a cyber detective or overly watchful, implementing these practices will help ensure your kids are protected from harmful content they’re not ready to engage with, protected from a world they should never become a part of.

Navigating the digital world can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to ensuring your kids’ online safety. With the vast amount of information and media available today, it’s crucial to protect them from inappropriate content.

In this blog post, you’ll discover essential tips to effectively safeguard your children, fostering a secure and enriching internet experience for them.

Introduce Age Restrictions

Age restrictions play a vital role in protecting children from inappropriate content online. By setting age-appropriate boundaries with a Global Age Ratings Provider, parents can prevent kids from accessing material that may be too mature for their development stage, reducing exposure to harmful themes such as violence, adult situations, or graphic imagery. Introducing these restrictions can start with enabling parental controls on devices, which often include options to filter content based on age ratings.

Additionally, open conversations about why certain content is restricted can help children understand the importance of these measures. It’s essential to regularly review and adjust restrictions as children grow and their needs change, ensuring they have a safe environment to explore the internet while still being guided towards appropriate content for their age.

Use Parental Controls

Parental controls are essential tools for safeguarding children against inappropriate content in the vast digital landscape. They enable parents to restrict access to harmful websites, monitor online activity, and set time limits for device usage. By implementing these controls, parents can tailor the online experience to suit their children’s ages and maturity levels, significantly reducing exposure to unsuitable material.

To utilize parental controls effectively, start by enabling built-in settings on devices and browsers, which often provide options to filter content and block specific sites. Consider using third-party applications that offer additional features for monitoring and managing screen time. Regularly reviewing and updating these controls is key, as children grow and their digital literacy increases. Engaging in open dialogue about online safety will also empower children to make responsible choices while exploring the internet.

Set Up Safe Search

Every company nowadays is offering safe options that should be implemented when kids have access to the device. These are the following:

• Google SafeSearch
• YouTube Restricted Mode
• Bing SafeSearch
• Parental control software
• Wi-Fi Router Settings
• Talk to your kids
• Apple’s Family Sharing
• Social media safety modes if you have a family plan

Safe search filters out potentially harmful material, providing a more secure browsing environment. By implementing safe search settings, parents can ensure that search engines and platforms display only age-appropriate results, significantly reducing the risk of exposure to explicit or violent content. This proactive measure fosters a safer online experience, allowing children to explore and learn without encountering unsuitable themes that could be damaging to their development.

Monitor Apps and Websites

This proactive move helps parents stay informed about their online activities and the potential risks they may encounter. By regularly reviewing the apps their kids use and the websites they visit, parents can identify any harmful content or interactions that need addressing.

To effectively monitor, parents can utilize built-in tracking features on devices, check browsing histories, and set up alerts for specific types of content. Further, discussing online experiences with children fosters open communication, allowing them to express concerns and ask questions, which leads to a more supportive approach to navigating the digital world.

Educate and Communicate

Teaching children about the potential dangers they may encounter helps them develop critical thinking skills, enabling them to make informed decisions while browsing. By fostering open dialogue, parents can create a safe space for children to discuss their online experiences, ask questions, and voice concerns without fear of judgment.

Engaging kids in conversations about digital literacy, privacy, and respect for others online further empowers them to navigate the internet responsibly. Regular discussions about their online interactions, paired with age-appropriate resources such as articles or videos, can reinforce these lessons, ensuring that children understand the importance of safe practices while maintaining a trusting parent-child relationship.

Use Kid-friendly Platforms

Kid-friendly platforms are designed with age-appropriate materials and stringent safety measures. These platforms often feature curated content that aligns with children’s developmental stages, minimizing exposure to harmful themes or violent imagery. To utilize these platforms effectively, parents can research and select services specifically tailored for kids, such as educational apps, streaming sites, and social networks that offer enhanced security features.

Moreover, encouraging children to use these platforms fosters a sense of community while reducing the likelihood of encountering unsuitable content. Regularly discussing online experiences and reinforcing the importance of these safe spaces will help children appreciate the value of engaging with kid-friendly environments, ultimately providing them a secure and enjoyable digital experience.

With children increasingly surrounded by the virtual world, their protection in cyberspace has never been so crucial. Cyberbullying, exposure to unseemly content, and possible online predators present an increasing dilemma for parents, educators, and policy makers alike.

A fine way to make them fully aware and at the same time share very important safety tips is through a carefully drafted press release. Professional PR services are employed in order to let organizations publish key information related to children’s internet safety, and to drive both engagement and action by the stakeholders who are concerned with the creation of a safer online environment for kids.

How Press Release Services Can Amplify Awareness for Children’s Internet Safety

Press Release Use in Child Internet Safety

Press releases are an effective method to communicate and raise the awareness of issues related to children’s online safety among the general public. Strategic distribution will let them loudly echo efforts towards online protection that could reach parents, educators, government bodies, and even most media outlets. This is why press releases can serve to be so effective in relating online protection to kids. First of all, it spreads the issue to a greater number of audiences.

Professional news wire services will allow your message to reach maximum visibility to an extended network of media contacts, blogs, and influencers. Whether you are announcing a new online safety initiative, an educational resource, or software designed to keep children safe while browsing, press releases are how you say what you want to the people you want.

PR Distribution will shine much-needed light onto pressing matters at hand that deal with children’s internet safety, such as online predators or rising issues with cyberbullying, and ensure key messages reach those in most need. 2. Create Action through Awareness

Press releases do not just spread information, but they also call for action. The organizations advocating online safety for kids can utilize them in creating awareness of new tools, applications, or educational campaigns intended towards equipping children with what it will take to protect them when browsing the internet.

For example, a press release regarding a new browser launched that limit harmful content, or one that promotes parental control features will help see to it that parents and educators quickly embrace the use of such tools, and therefore, safeguard children against all online threats.

• Building Authority and Trust

The reason organizations dedicated to children’s online safety have to establish authority and gain the trust of parents, educators, and policy makers. This would help set up periodic issuance of press releases regarding any new research, safety policies, or effective tools that would allow such an organization to establish credibility in thought leadership within the industry.

The regularity of press releases, meanwhile, actually conveys a great commitment to the cause of safe browsing for children and helps establish long-term public trust.

How to Take Advantage of Press Releases to Bring Awareness on Kids’ Online Safety

It is important therefore to consider some of the ways through which press releases can be effectively used to reach out to the right audience and address key concerns in children’s internet safety. How best can an organization therefore enhance its efforts at writing press releases?

• Timely Issues

Press releases dealing with urgent, timely issues, such as cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, or new online scams, are more apt to draw attention from the media and public. In positioning, organizations chalking up emerging threats position themselves as proactive leaders in online safety for kids.

For example, this may be a press release regarding the latest features for one of the popular parental control apps, which will create a download and use spree to help families better protect their kids online.

• Add Heft with Statistics

Using statistics and expert quotations in your press releases will make them more appealing. If you can provide figures on the proliferation of online threats or demonstrate solutions based on evidence from research, it lends an air of credibility to your message and a better chance that the story will be picked up by the media.

For instance, if the PR includes statistics of how many children are victims of online bullying or identity theft, it will strike a chord much stronger with parents and educators looking for tangible ways through which to keep kids safe on the Internet.

• Selecting Appropriate Media Outlets

Other major benefits of PR services are targeted audience reach. A PR related to the safety of children online needs to be distributed specifically to parenting blogs, educational platforms, and tech magazines so that it may reach the right people who could influence online safety policies or bring on safe browsing practices.

By positioning your PR with media that deal in kids’ online safety, you will do a better job at reaching out to parents, schools, and government agencies alike, all of which have put a premium on keeping kids safe.

How King Newswire Supports Children’s Internet Safety Initiatives

King Newswire provides PR distribution specifically aimed at helping in the dissemination of initiatives about keeping kids safe on the internet. Here is a look into how they can help spread your message:

• Vast Network of Media for Increased Reach

With King Newswire’s comprehensive network, rest assured that your PR will go out to major news outlets, parenting blogs, and online safety forums to make sure that one hears about your campaign on the safety of kids online. This can be from anything, from a new safe browsing tool to bringing awareness of the dangers children face online.

• SEO Optimization for Greater Online Impact

King Newswire will search engine optimize your PR to make sure your message appears when concerned parents, educators, and policymakers are searching for information about children’s internet safety. SEO-optimized press releases ensure maximum online visibility and drive organic traffic to your campaign.

• Comprehensive Reporting and Analytics

King Newswire will provide comprehensive reports stating the performance it achieved, who picked it up, and the level of engagement it enjoyed after distributing your press release. That insight will be irreplaceable in future campaigns where organizations want to measure the effect of their efforts regarding safe browsing among children.

Raising Awareness: Keeping kids safe online is one of the prime concerns in today’s connected world. Professional PR distribution services by organizations such as King Newswire will ensure that messaging on the safety of kids online reaches the desired audience for awareness and actions. A press release is one of the most powerful means of amplifying critical information that may help in safeguarding children’s digital experiences.

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: “Please, please, please can we get a pet?” Your kids have begged for any kind of little creature to take care of — a dog, a cat, a hamster, a goldfish, or even that frog they managed to sneak indoors.  So far, you have managed to resist their pleas.

However, as your kids get older, you wonder whether teaching kids responsibility through pet ownership might be a good idea. Taking care of animals offers many growing opportunities, letting kids learn about the importance of commitment to the value of empathy and the power of grief beyond picture books. While family pets are good for kids for all these reasons and more, they are not always the right fit.

Think your family’s ready to take on a pet? Consider the following questions before deciding to bring a pet into the family home.

How Old Are Your Kids?

The younger your kids are when you get a family pet, the more the responsibility of caring for the pet will fall on your shoulders. What’s more, younger kids might struggle to treat pets appropriately, which can put them at risk of injuries like bites or scratches or else at risk of causing harm to the pet. For the most part, pediatricians warn against introducing a new pet before a child is about four years old.

Even if your kids are older, you may want to build up their responsibility and maturity before saddling your family with a pet. Consider creating chore charts for your kids so they can develop a habit of completing tasks around the house in preparation for regularly caring for a pet. If your kids dutifully complete their chores, they may truly be ready to take on a pet.

How Active Is Your Family?

Pets are living creatures that deserve respect and care. While different kinds of pets have different demands, all pets require some time and energy from their owners daily.

Your family might not have any time or energy to spare. If you have a demanding career, if your kids are engaged in all activities, or if you frequently travel, your family is likely too active to ensure that a pet receives the care and attention it needs. Unless you expect to radically change your family’s lifestyle to accommodate the pet, you need to think critically about every family member’s capacity before bringing a living creature into your home.

How Much Space Do You Have?

All animals need their area to relax and feel safe; some animals require more space and some less. Unfortunately, the fact is that larger homes tend to be better suited to the addition of pets, regardless of type, because they have square footage to spare.

As you are considering acquiring a pet, you should consider how much space you have to give your new family member. Smaller pets require less space to feel happy and secure, so they may fit in perfectly when a larger animal does not. If you don’t have room for a husky or a German shepherd, adopting small pets may suit you best.

Do You Have the Disposable Income?

There is no such thing as a free pet. Even if you are willing to keep that from your kids found as your family pet (which is certainly not recommended), you will be spending money on all manner of pet accouterments, from its enclosure to its food to regular veterinary care. Larger pets cost more per year than smaller pets, but any animal you bring into your family will add to your monthly expenses. You need to be sure that you can afford to pay for a pet before you commit to caring for it for the rest of its life.

What Kind of Pet Do You Want?

If all signs thus far point to yes, you have a final important decision to make: What kind of pet? You might already have a preference for a size or type of pet, but you and your kids should put some time into researching a variety of pet options to make sure you are selecting a friend that fits your family’s needs and interests.

If you are set on adopting a dog, you and your kids need to know everything about caring for a dog before it places a paw past your door.  You should get a sense of the appropriate breeds of dog for your family and what toys and types of activity they might enjoy. You might enroll in some training courses, to help little ones understand how to behave around dogs and to equip older members of your family with vital skills. For instance, you need to know how to perform dog CPR in case your furry friend chokes on something dangerous.

Then again, you might be open to starting smaller, with a pet more easily contained in a cage or terrarium. During the research phase, you should look into a range of low-effort pets, including exotic options like hermit crabs, chinchillas, or axolotls.

Your family might be ready for its first pet — or it might not. Before you give in to your child’s pleas, every member of your family should think long and hard about what it means to have a pet and whether everyone is ready for the changes a pet will bring.

About the Author
Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in education, mental health, family lifestyle and online safety. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. You can follow her on Twitter.