The most active users on the internet are teens. With numerous ways to access the internet, including mobile phones, tablets, PCs, game consoles, music players, etc., teens have unprecedented access to all sorts of information, moral or immoral. Social networking sites, emails, chatrooms, and instant messaging have exposed them to various online relationships which can be also hazardous for them. In such instances, parents, especially if you’re a father, need to step in and impose Parental control on your teen’s online activity.

Is your teen being exposed to the threats of the digital world? Is an online predator involved in your teen’s online relationship? Is he or she getting bullied by someone online? Is he or she viewing immoral content? The answer to all of these questions could be yes.

Being a dad, you need to be vigilant all the time and understand the impact of such online hazards on your teen’s mental and physical health. You should know the means to keep your teen’s online social life safe.

Here are some of the ways dads can keep their teens safe from the online dangers:

Indulge in Conversation

The first step in keeping your teen safe from the online menace is to talk to them. Initiate a conversation with them about the dangers of the online world and let them know about them in advance. Make sure they know about the online dangers before they start exploring on their own. Tell them what kind of information is appropriate to share online and what is not. Tell them whom they should communicate with and whom they should not. Ask them to avoid conversations with strangers, especially pedophiles. Explain them how to report abuse and make them learn the basic internet etiquettes.

Ensure Privacy of their online accounts

Every teen is addicted to social media these days. Being a dad, you should which social media platform your teen is present on and how he or she is using it. You need to make them understand how important the privacy of these social media accounts is. Make sure they have turned on the privacy settings on their accounts and have privatized their profiles. Explain them every step in a friendly way, without letting them feel that their privacy is being invaded.

Set Up Parental Controls

Keeping a check on your teen’s online activity might have been a headache a few years ago, but the time has changed now. With so many parental control apps available in the market, for instance, Shield My Teen, it has become much easier for a dad to keep an eye on their teen’s online activity. With the help of these monitoring tools, you can closely monitor your teen’s social media chats, emails, instant messaging, calls, as well as track their locations.

Secure their Electronic Devices

Dads can play smartly by securing their teen’s electronic devices with the help of an internet security software. This step is taken to keep their devices away from data-stealing malware and other online viruses. The security software can be installed both on their PCs and mobile phones.

Stay Updated

Whatever step you take to keep your teen safe from the cyber threats, make sure YOU are well aware of those threats and have found out ways to tackle them. Always stay updated about everything in advance. Learn about various apps and software that have been specifically designed to help parents combat this situation.

Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Protecting your teen from the online hazards is your responsibility. Always monitor your teen’s online activity because online threats should never be ignored. Listen to your teen’s problems and help them out. Your teen can actually sustain positive online relationships and have a likeable social media experience if he or she is guided and protected well.

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