There’s a lot of information that circulates online that’s beneficial to read. There’s also a lot of information that’s dark and that shouldn’t be seen, especially by children. Sometimes, the things that are seen online by children can result in going down a road that’s very dark and dangerous. Nina Rangel is a parent who feels that screens are relied on more often today than they were in the past and has a daughter who is 11 years old. The young girl is in middle school and doesn’t have a cell phone service or mobile phone. She doesn’t have a computer or tablet to use on a regular basis, either. However, she has a computer that the school provides so that she can do homework and so that she can participate in virtual classes. Rangel believes that the issue is that there are so many things online that are easily accessible and that there are several devices that can be accessed even if they aren’t personally owned.

Making the Internet Safer

Internet provider have designated day as Safer Internet Day on February 8th. Callahan Walsh is a member of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Although there are good things that can be done and seen on the internet, it’s also a place where some sick people tend to take part in activities that can be a danger to children of all ages as well as to adults. There have been conversations on the dark web from people who try to manipulate children. With the conversations that have been seen, the Center has looked at some of the practices that can be put in place to teach children about how to stay safe online.

Henry Cuellar is a representative in Texas who has made it known that videos should be removed from YouTube and other online sources so that children can’t see them. Some of the content that should be removed includes how to make a noose and other methods of teaching children how to commit suicide or even how to kill someone else. Parental controls can be used to block websites that children can visit, but there are people who make sites that appear as though they are safe only to be fake. These websites then have people running them who try to lure children and teach them about things that they shouldn’t know about. They also try to chat with children to see if they can receive images or other content.

Protecting Children

Parents should download the same apps that their children want to use as well as others that are popular so that they can see what their children see. They need to understand the words that are used and the images that are shared so that they know what children could see if they do use those apps. Parents can set rules as to which apps can be downloaded and which ones can’t. They should also set rules about which websites should be avoided. If there has been questionable behavior in the past, then children might need to be online in front of a parent or another adult instead of using devices alone so that they watch right content from Dramacool. Parents can talk to children about what they might see online and ways that they can recognize when someone is trying to lure them or share content that’s not appropriate. If children resist, then parents should remind them that they care about them and that they don’t want to see them hurt.