Accompanying children on the Internet protects against:
- Content that is not good for children (violence, sexual content, etc.)
- Contact with strangers in chats
- Bullying in chats
- Post private photos and videos
- Spend money by mistake
- Too much time on the Internet
Children learn with company:
- Protect yourself from risks and dangers
- Deal well with others (e.g. in chats and social media)
- Using the Internet for learning
- Organize your time on the Internet
Which company at what age?
- 0 - 10 years: Children are never alone on the internet
- 10 - 16 years: Children learn step-by-step how to be alone on the Internet
- from the age of 16: Children can be alone on the Internet
0 - 10 Years
Parents always accompany children on the Internet.
Until the end of elementary school, children are never online without an adult. You protect your children from dangers. You explain what children need to watch out for online and how they can protect themselves.
What parents do:
- select devices and apps and set them for children
- play video games together
- chat together
- search together for stuff on the Internet
- check online contacts together
- Learning about risks and protection
10 - 16 Years
Children learn step-by-step how to be alone on the Internet.
Children can play video games alone without chatting. Children can chat alone with close friends. Can your child do that? Then try out more. From the age of 14-15, children should be able to use most things on the internet on their own. This is also a good age for social media.
What parents do:
- Observing children: How well can they use the Internet? For example, is the child ready for their own smartphone?
- Select and set devices and apps together.
- talk about chats
- talk about Social Media
- talk about video games
- talk about contact with people on the Internet
- talk about risks on the Internet
From 16 Years
Kids can be alone on the Internet.
Keep talking to your children about things on the internet. There are still risks online for adults too. Or maybe you'll learn something new from your children.
More Tips
- 02 Select: Devices, apps, contacts, video games, social media...
- 03 Set up: Devices, apps, contacts, video games, social media...
Print out
Image sources
https://www.pexels.com/photo/caring-father-teaching-son-using-joystick-4545957/https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-and-girl-using-tablet-computer-1312023/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/mother-helping-her-daughter-with-her-homework-4260323/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/two-teenagers-sitting-on-a-couch-while-using-their-electronic-gadgets-6256073/