Everyone knows just how important the internet has become in recent years. Being a single source of a vast collection of different types of information, this monopoly factor of the internet is the real reason for its significance. This scenario can be reflected by the influence of the internet on the lives of teenagers. According to some online surveys, almost 91 percent of the teens are now online on their smart devices. Out of these, more than 20 percent of the teens stay online for 24 hours on a daily basis. This statistics clearly shows the influence of the internet on their daily life. Devices like smartphones and tablets make it easier to stay online at almost all times. More than 70 percent of the teenagers access the internet for playing video games, and nearly 11 percent of the other teenagers access it for internet surfing and for visiting different sites. As you probably already know that while on the internet, there may be times when you encounter inappropriate websites not suited for teenagers. To ensure that they never come across such sites, you must have a reliable internet connection which ensures parental controls on the devices owned by teenagers.
Impacts of Devices used for Internet Access
The portable devices are the primary reasons which cause a rise in the usage of the internet because they can access the internet from anywhere as long as they have a smartphone or a tablet. It affects their communication, socializing, how they relax and what they think about. All these scenarios give rise to several different situations.
- Their capability of texting is improved, but they no longer like to interact with other human beings.
- They are not able to pay attention most of the times because they are always thinking about the device they have in hand.
- Video games and social networking are replacing healthy exercises and outdoor activities.
- They like to spend time in their room and not with their family.
- Depression level increases due to zero interaction with the outside world.
- Using digital devices all the time affects their eyesight and creates problems for their health.
- Kids who go online without their parents’ supervision can often become a victim of cyber bullying.
- They are at high risk of engaging with online hackers and online predators.
Prevention of Online Threats
These issues are quite alarming, and you can’t take them for granted. You must exercise some specific measures to ensure the safety of your children. One of the most significant ways to prevent these threats is to get a decent enough internet connection which can offer you the services of parental controls and anti-virus. Although it is quite hard for both of these features to come free with internet service. Below are the brief details of parental controls which reduce the chances of online threats.
Parental Controls
Parental controls are by far the best thing to ensure your kid’s security while using the internet. You can always monitor which sites they are visiting and block inappropriate websites to guarantee their safety. You can also set up these controls on their devices as well as on the central connecting device like a router or hub through which you will control the kind of content they will have the liberty to visit online. In addition to this, you should always try to interact with your children and keep them aware of all the online threats they can face while using the internet.