It is essential to instill critical thinking skills in children in order to help them navigate internet safely and avoid the negative impacts of false information.
Online guides which need to be imbibed by parents/guardians can be used to empower children and aid them in making informed decisions, complementing their ability to recognize misinformation.
READ: How to help children spot fake news
By teaching these skills, you can prevent them from falling prey to misinformation in the first place. Here are some strategies to support children and young people in this area.
1. Building connections online
As children build relationships and friendships online, it’s crucial to help them develop critical thinking skills to make safe choices about the people they interact with. This is especially important in the context of misinformation, where online interactions can sometimes lead to misleading or harmful content.
If someone they’re connected with shares or says something that makes them feel uneasy, worried, or scared, they should be empowered to take control—whether that means speaking to someone they trust, blocking, or reporting the individual. It’s important that children feel they can turn to you or other trusted sources without the fear of being told to stop using a certain platform. Keeping an open mind and working together to resolve issues encourage them to share their concerns.
As online interactions evolve, especially with the increasing popularity of gaming where children may interact with strangers, it’s vital to encourage them to trust their instincts. If something feels off, it probably is misleading. Creating an environment where children feel confident to discuss their concerns without fearing a ban from a particular platform can help them navigate the online world safely and critically, thus reducing their exposure to misinformation.
2. Handling online privacy
With the rise in phishing attempts and fraudulent scams, it’s essential to equip children with the tools they need to protect their personal information to avoid them being victims
Start by discussing the importance of strong passwords with your child and how they can help prevent phishing attacks. Consider using a password manager to create and store secure passwords for the whole family. It’s common for children to share passwords with friends as a sign of trust, often knowing each other’s phone and account passcodes. However, it’s crucial to explain the risks this behavior pose, particularly when it comes to phishing scams.
To help your child create strong, unique passwords that are less vulnerable to fraudulent schemes, you can use resources like the Bee Secure site to test out password ideas together. Additionally, the Cyber Security Activity Pack from ThinkuKnow and KnowBe4 offers valuable tools to help your family learn more about staying cyber-aware and recognizing the signs of phishing attempts.
3. Problem-solving methods
When it comes to dealing with misinformation and harmful content online, it’s crucial to provide children with ways to seek help before issues arise, especially if they feel they can’t talk to you directly.
Encourage them to explore other reporting options. There may be another trusted adult they can turn to for support—it doesn’t always have to be you as their parent. Discuss who these trusted adults might be, and explain that they can also report any problems directly to the platform where the issue occurred, whether it’s a game, social network, or website.
Remind them that doing nothing isn’t the best option, as misinformation or harmful content could negatively impact others as well. Even if they aren’t particularly worried about what they’ve encountered, reporting it can help protect others, which may encourage them to take action and support their peers.
Take some time to go through the reporting features on the services, games, and apps your child uses.
4. Safely setting up
When your child is online, whether playing games or chatting with others, the devices they use come with built-in tools and settings that can help you manage their online experience. These controls are essential for protecting them from harmful content, misinformation, and unwanted contact, while also helping to limit screen time.
Just as there are rules in place for their safety in the offline world, it’s important to have similar guidelines for their online activities. By setting up privacy controls together, you can help your child understand why these boundaries are necessary and how they help keep them safe. As they grow older and become more independent online, they can take on more responsibility for managing these settings themselves, learning to self-regulate their device use and recognize the importance of privacy and security.
Many popular platforms now offer features that allow parents to link their accounts with their child’s, providing valuable oversight. Collaborating on these setups ensures that your child feels involved and understands the importance of these measures. Just as they accept rules for their offline activities, they should also see the value in having rules for their online interactions.
5. Dealing with harmful content & Cyber-bullying
As your child begins to interact with others online, it’s crucial to teach them good online manners early in life, especially when it comes to expressing their feelings and emotions. While cyber-bullying is more commonly experienced by older teens and tweens, fostering a respectful online presence from a young age is essential.
Unfortunately, many people believe that they can say unkind things online without facing any consequences, thinking anonymity will protect them. To combat this, it’s important to ensure your child’s privacy settings on social media platforms are properly configured, giving them control over who can comment on their posts. Our social media how-to guide provides tips on setting these up. Show your child how to use tools to block or report a post, or report another user for cyber-bullying, misinformation, or other harmful behavior.
While social networking sites and gaming platforms do moderate content, these measures are not foolproof. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the tools available on the platforms, games, and apps your child uses to report or block harmful content. Ensure your child knows what to do if they encounter unpleasant or misleading content. Depending on their age, it might be best for them to come to you rather than trying to handle it on their own.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or [email protected].
