As part of the Children's Screen Time Action Network, I am an advocate for an essential cause and my aim is to share and create resources, celebrate our successes, and find much-needed support for navigating the complexities of tech and kids' wellbeing. Access this link to find practical tools and resources for reducing children’s screen time. You can search by profession, children’s ages, risks, and more.

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FACEBOOK

• Facebook’s Help Center can help you learn how to use Facebook, manage your account and learn about privacy and safety.

• Facebook Security helps you protect your account and the information you share.

• The Family Safety Center shares resources for parents, teachers, teens and law enforcement to help start the conversation about online safety.

• Report Something can help you report inappropriate or abusive content, fraudulent accounts, spam, malicious apps and more on Facebook.

 

GOOGLE

• The Google Official Blog‘s security posts provide insights from Google employees into online safety with their products, technology, and Google culture. The blog also offers helpful suggestions on how to make the most of your online experiences

• The Google Safety Center helps consumers make safety choices that fit their families. 

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• A Guide from Google to show parents how they can protect their family online. http://www.google.co.uk/goodtoknow/familysafety/

 

MICROSOFT

• The Safety and Security Center offers tools and resources to help you keep your family, yourself and your connected devices

 

BBC WEBWISE 

• BBC Webwise is part of the BBC website with help and support for all aspects of internet safety.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/parents-film

 

Webcam safety advice from the BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/0/25812110

 

Keeping Young Children Safe Online GUIDE  (UK Safer Internet Centre) - A useful online safety guide for parents.

http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/ufiles/Keeping-Young-Children-Safe-Online.pdf

 

 

The Digizen website - This provides information for educators, parents, carers and young people.  It is used to strengthen their awareness and understanding of what digital citizenship is and encourages users of technology to be and become responsible Digital Citizens.  http://www.digizen.org/

 

The Parents and Carers Guide to the Internet, has been created by CEOP to provide a realistic look at what it takes to be a better online parent. https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/parentsguide/

 

YouTube Safety Centre

https://www.youtube.com/intl/en-GB/yt/about/policies/#community-guidelines

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YouTube Safety Report inappropriate content

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802027?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en

 

The Parents Guide to Technology from the UK Safer Internet Centre

http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents-and-carers/parents-guide-to-technology

 

A Guide from the UK Safer Internet Centre on how to set up the parental controls offered by your internet provider.

http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents-and-carers/parental-controls

 

The Parents section of the Know It All website.

http://www.childnet.com/kia/parents/

 

Child safety online overview

http://www.knowthenet.org.uk/knowledge-centre/child-safety

 

Advice for parents and carers on online bullying.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/375420/

Advice_for_Parents_on_Cyberbullying_131114.pdf

 

A parents guide to Instagram

http://dwn5wtkv5mp2x.cloudfront.net/downloads/A_Parents_Guide_to_Instagram.pdf

 

Protecting your child in the digital world

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/7107/managemedia.pdf

 

ALEXA Smart Speaker Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201556130 

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My further considerations:

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I should emphasize that I believe in a balance in this respect, without either excess or prohibition. Furthermore, I believe that children connected to technology need guidance, well-defined rules, and ever-present parents.

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Personally, as a parent of a young one, and as a professional in the area of Digital Marketing, I see that there is a possibility of finding peace and practicality when dealing with issues involving the digital world. 

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However, I also feel that in a world with increasing communication, things such as gestures, looks, and physical presence, along with the constant proposal of physical activities outdoors or manual crafts indoors, as well as reading physical books, are increasingly essential for the development of children.

The offline world is a wonderful universe to be explored and enjoyed.

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The best PARENTAL CONTROL can be an open conversation:

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In this sense, to promote a healthy relationship, you gain an understanding of your child's digital lifestyle, making it easier to start an open conversation about online behaviours. Know your child's current activity and prevent screen addiction. 

And also worth keeping in mind, regardless of which websites you block on your home Wi-Fi or installing an effective parental control app, children may still have access to them via their public Wi-Fi services/hotspots. So, encourage your child to learn about the possible risks related to the digital world, an open and honest dialogue is often the key to getting them to understand the dangers.