Zuckerberg Ditched Fact-Checkers: How to Protect Your Kids Now
In the digital age, it’s more important than ever for parents to be proactive about their children’s online safety. With the constant…
In the digital age, it’s more important than ever for parents to be proactive about their children’s online safety. With the constant influx of information and misinformation online, it can be difficult for children to navigate the digital world safely.
Meta’s decision to drop its fact-checkers has increased anxiety about online safety. This decision has left many parents concerned about their children's potential exposure to harmful or misleading content. In my opinion, this decision by Mark Zuckerberg is not a positive one and is being driven by the new political landscape in the US, it will be even more important for those with a duty of care for children to be fully cognizant of the dangers online.
However, there are steps that parents can take to help their children stay safe online. One of the most important things is to have regular, age-appropriate conversations with your children about their online lives. These conversations can be difficult but essential for building trust and open communication. I have covered these in other articles but it can never hurt to go over them and add a few new ones.
Here are some tips for talking to your children about online safety:
Start early. Don’t wait until your child is a teenager to start talking about online safety. Even young children can be exposed to online risks. Start by teaching them basic internet safety rules, such as not sharing personal information online and not talking to strangers. As they get older, you can have more in-depth conversations about topics like cyberbullying, online predators, and sexting.
Be age-appropriate. Tailor your conversations to your child’s age and understanding. For younger children, keep the conversation simple and focus on basic safety rules. For older children, you can discuss more complex topics, such as online reputation and privacy settings.
Be honest and open. Don’t sugarcoat the risks. Your children need to understand that there are real dangers online. However, you also don’t want to scare them. Be honest and open about the risks, but also emphasize that there are ways to stay safe.
Be a good role model. Show your children how to use the internet safely and responsibly. Let them see you using strong passwords, being mindful of what you share online, and treating others with respect online.
Set clear rules and expectations. Let your children know what is and is not acceptable online behaviour. This might include things like how much time they can spend online, what websites they are allowed to visit, and what they are allowed to post online.
Use parental controls. There are many parental control tools available that can help you monitor and manage your child’s online activity. These tools can help you block inappropriate websites, limit screen time, and track your child’s online activity. Check through some of my past articles to see some that I have tested and written guides for.
Be involved. Take an active interest in your child’s online life. Ask them about the websites they visit, the games they play, and the people they talk to online. This will help you to identify any potential risks and to provide your child with the support they need to stay safe.
In addition to having conversations with your children, there are other things you can do to help them stay safe online.
Teach your children about cyberbullying and how to deal with it. Cyberbullying is a serious problem that can have a devastating impact on children. Teach your children what cyberbullying is, how to recognize it, and what to do if they are being bullied online.
Help your children to develop critical thinking skills so they can evaluate the information they see online. Not everything that is posted online is true. Teach your children how to evaluate information critically and to be sceptical of things they see online.
Fact-Checking Resources: While Facebook’s third-party fact-checking is gone, teach kids to use other resources like Snopes, FactCheck.org, or reputable news organizations.
Unfollow/Hide: Encourage your kids to be selective about who they follow. Unfollow or hide pages/people that consistently share misleading content.
Diverse Sources: Encourage following a variety of trusted news sources, experts, and organizations with different perspectives to avoid echo chambers.
Report Misinformation: Even though Facebook’s fact-checking has changed, you can still report posts you believe are false.
Keep up-to-date on the latest online safety trends. The internet is constantly evolving, so it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest online safety trends. You can do this by reading articles, following online safety experts, and attending online safety workshops.
By taking these steps, you can help your children stay safe online and enjoy the many benefits of the internet.
As always, reach out to me with comments, questions or suggestions, as I am always happy to take time to help you protect the most important thing in your lives: your children.