The digital influence in every aspect of human life is increasing day by day. Digital devices are there in the most minute and the most major part of a man’s life.

For instance, the mobile phone you need it in your hand at all times for socializing or doing work. The laptop is essential if you do any sort of job or if you’re a student.

Adults have seen the digital evolution but the generation-z kids are born in this world. There are lots of threats the virtual world imposes on children’s innocent minds.

You really can’t stop or just give them no access to the World Wide Web because if it has dangers it also has its advantages.

However, as a guardian/parent, the best you can do is being aware of all the dangers and how you can protect your adolescent from this.

1. Screen addiction

Games on the play store are designed in such a way that makes the young ones stick to the screen. It takes them away from reality and immerses them so much into the virtual world that they sometimes forget the difference between both. Hence, it is important to only allow them to access devices for a limited period.

2. Cyber Bullying

Social media and phone tracker app apps are increasing their influence day by day some popular spaces being Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and many other social media sites. This might be fun and a way to socialize for most people but they have a dark side on which the naive student gets targetted by notorious bullies. So you always need to keep an eye out on the younger ones social interactions in the virtual world. Blue Whale was just a game but it turned out to be much more than that – taking the lives of hundreds of kids.

3. Pedophile

Now, these people like to attack their prey, which is the children, at their weakest spots which unfortunately is the internet. There have been many incidents in which they have been successfully manipulated and taken advantage of. In this case, you can take by keeping an eye on their habits, behavior and unnecessary gifts.

4. Phishing

When the internet first became public many people took advantage of naïve people taking their hard-earned money in place of giving them much more. Now when young ones first get access to the internet they might also get attracted to these tactics things. I just read on news the other day that a 5-year-old girl ordered $2000 worth toys using her parent’s debit card – sounds funny? But for those mother’s that might be a shock or a lot of debt. So teach them about these things before it’s too late.

5. Downloading Malware

Once a digital device gets to their hands all they want to do is open this game, download that thing but in that they might also download a malware that will either ruin your device or your personal information can go into the wrong hands. Hence it is essential that you block their access to downloading things until you can check if it is safe or not.

6. Posting their personal information

Online world does not have a delete button you can say that you deleted it from somewhere but it is always stored somewhere out there. So aware your little ones about that and tell them never to give out or post any information on social sites. This may come to haunt them later in life and then the consequences of their mistakes will be much bigger then what you can even imagine now.

7. Adult content

Being adults we know the dark side of the internet and we must make them secure from that. If they come across that there are chances that it would leave an adverse effect on their mental health. They’re innocent and their minds are free from all the filth this world has. Hence to keep things that way you have to keep an eye on them.

The solution to the problem:

Wherever there is a problem there will always be a solution to that and there is one for this too.

There are lots of Parental control apps like for instance FamiSafe. It has some amazing features that will protect your child.
Screen time limitations
Monitoring activities
Blocking off sites that are not PG 13
Alerting gurdians about bullies
Alerting them about suspicious messages and much more

Talk to your children and have strong communication with them so that they can tell you about their issues rather than hiding it from you. Because it might be too late when you find out and things will be out of your hands.
Make them aware of the problems that they might incur when they get to use this medium.
Keep access to all their accounts on social media apps. The advantage of using parental apps to do this would be that they wouldn’t feel that you won’t trust them.
Try to keep the devices in a place that is the center of the house so that they would be checked by one elder at all times.
Be vigilant of their behavior, if you feel they are getting distanced from you or they don’t respect you. React immediately and don’t delay it no matter what. Your young one is a priority that you shouldn’t ignore at all.

Digital devices are the future and there is no way you can avoid this. So now that you know all the dangers of the virtual world and the preventions you can be cautious.

Parenting is hard and especially in the 20^th century generation-z kids. However, don’t go all stressed about these things and enjoy this time with your offspring because this time will never come back – to take pictures and make loads of memories. These are the only things that will be together with you when you are old and they have their own lives in different parts of the world.

M.B Qasim Shehzad is a Digital Marketing Consultant and transformational writer with more than 8 years of experience in SEO, SEM, SMO, blogging, etc having wide knowledge base into content marketing. And now writes articles about health, posture corrector, business, technology, family and finance. He enjoys traveling with her family whenever he isn’t writing.