Safe Search Kids - Education, Parenting, Internet Safety for All

Cyberbullying is one of the most common causes of emotional stress not only among children but also teenagers and even adults. Children that are bullied online experience stress, anxiety, and even depression. They have low self-esteem, lower grades, and may even feel physical pain.

The mental bullying definition, according to officials, is the following: it is a form of bullying which takes place via smartphones, tablets, and computers. It happens through text messages, social media accounts, forums, and video games where youngsters share information and communicate. Cyberbullying means sharing harmful and negative information about a person, including data that may cause embarrassment.

In this article, we will discuss the signs of online harassment, its consequences, as well as apps that prevent cyberbullying and other effective measures.

Signs that your child is being bullied online

Most children don’t tell their parents about being bullied, so it is important for adults to understand what signs may indicate the problem.

A child may be cyberbullied if:

• They stop using a smartphone or computer, while before they used it all the time;
• They avoid using computers where anyone else can see them;
• Every time you walk by, the screen or monitor goes black;
• They are withdrawn;
• They neglect friends and avoid other people;
• They don’t want to attend school;
• They say something like ‘I don’t have friends’ or ‘there’s a lot of stress in the class.’
• They are nervous when getting a message or email.

How this may impact a child’s psyche

You already know what cyberbullying is and what signs to look for. But what can cyberbullying cause? Is it a minor problem or a serious issue that requires our attention? Below we are going to discuss the emotions that cyberbullied children experience. And some of them are extremely dangerous.

1. Confusion

It may be overwhelming, especially if a child is bullied by several kids at the same time. A bullied kid may think that everyone knows about the situation and supports it. They think that the world is against them, and there is no one they can turn to. Very often, they think that the situation is too heavy and difficult to handle.

2. Humiliation

Cyberbullying takes place on the Internet, so if something is published online, it stays there for ages. That is why children feel exposed and can’t get rid of the feelings of being humiliated.

When the bullying takes place, messages and posts can be shared by others, and the more people know about the situation, the more difficult it is for a child to cope with the situation.

3. Strengthless

Cyberbullying victims feel powerless and unsafe. This happens because online bullying reaches them anywhere they are: at home, at school, or even in a supermarket. They are reached via a smartphone or a computer 24/7. That is why the child doesn’t have a place to hide, and it feels that the bullying will never end.

Unfortunately, rather often, online bullies are anonymous, so children may experience additional stress and fear. And they don’t know how to cope with the feeling of powerlessness.

4. Uselessness

As a rule, bullies attack the most vulnerable ones, so the victims already feel that they are not worth the love and attention. Most bullies trigger others by saying that they worth nothing and don’t have any value.

Unfortunately, these feelings may lead to disastrous consequences. For example, if a kid is called fat, they might use harsh diets and harm their health. Or try and change their appearance to look more attractive. Some children refuse to go to school or even to leave their homes because they feel useless and don’t see a point in communicating, studying, or even living.

5. Isolation

Many children and teenagers that are bullied feel excluded at schools and colleges. They often feel alone and not knowing who to turn to. At this age, friends are extremely important, and their absence leads to even more bullying and stress.

When cyberbullying happens, children are usually advised to close their social media accounts and turn off computers at least for a while. However, this leads to even more isolation because, for children, it is extremely important to communicate with their friends and stay updated on the things happening around them.  In this way, the effects of cyberbullying on social media become much more broad in the damage caused.

6. Vengefulness

In some cases, cyberbullying makes children very angry, and they start searching for a way to harm the bully in return. This emotion is one of the most harmful consequences of bullying because the child is locked in negative emotions, which can do significant harm. It’s best to forgive another person than to be angry all the time.

7. Physical illness

Psychosomatics proves that emotional state may influence your physical health. Cyberbullied children often complain of headaches and other physical symptoms. Stress can also lead to problems with the stomach, skin, and whatnot.

A common impact of cyberbullying is troubled with sleep and nutrition. Children have nightmares and insomnia. They may also skip meals or even stop eating at all. These conditions are extremely harmful and can lead to negative consequences in the long run.

That is why it is so important for parents to be attentive to their children and notice any changes in sleeping and eating habits, as well as other physicals signs of mental problems. This can especially be difficult for a single parent who has a child being cyberbullied.

8. Absence of interest

Cyberbullied children look at the world differently, and they lose meaning in the things that support them. They no longer enjoy their hobbies and spend less time with their friends and relatives. This only contributes to depression and leads to irreversible consequences.

Bullying victims are disinterested during classes; they are not motivated to get high grades and perform well. They skip school not to dace bullies or because they feel embarrassed and think that everyone in the school knows about the situation.

Stress and worries cause a lack of concentration, which results in poor grades. In the long run, this may lead to dropping out of school or even losing interest in entering college. As you see, such a ‘minor’ problem may impact a child’s future.

9. Depression

One of the most dangerous and harmful conditions that a bullied child experience is depression. They lose confidence and no longer have healthy self-esteem, which leads to stress and anxiety. They, in turn, make a child unhappy. If the episodes of cyberbullying happen on a regular basis, the above emotions lead to depression. And in most cases, it is impossible to cope with depression without side help.

It should be noticed that many children mask their depression and, on the inside, seem happy and cheerful.

10. Suicide

According to research, cyberbullying may be a cause of suicide, especially among youngsters. Children who are regularly bullied by their classmates or neighbors, or even unknown people on the internet, often lose hope and think that they can’t do anything about the situation.

They might think that the only way to change the situation is to commit suicide. As you understand, this condition is the most threatening one and requires your full attention.

Depression

Does bullying cause depression and suicidal thoughts? Now you know the answer. It is a very dangerous problem that causes stress and anxiety in thousands or even millions of children. It becomes difficult to lead a happy life, which in the long-run harms both physical and mental health.

Instead of remaining indifferent, we should seek to solve the problem of cyberbullying and become active listeners, mediators, and voices of wisdom. We should also treat our children with respect and participate in their lives so that they won’t want to bully others or would have enough stamina to resist bullies. Fortunately, parental have the power to protect our children from any type of bullying. There are consulting session options and apps which will be of great help.

How to prevent cyberbullying

As you see, cyberbullying and depression are interlinked. This may influence a child’s future and even lead to irreversible consequences. That is why it is so important to know the most effective prevention measures.

First of all, you should try apps for parental controls that monitor the social activity of your child and record the time and the medium that was used for bullying. Then you can report to the school or academic institution if the child is bullied by a classmate. It is also important to try and talk to a child about the situation. Another effective instrument is to post positive messages if you see a dialog with bullies.

However, the methods above might not help if your child is withdrawn or too sensitive. In such a case, you can try out applications that may help to reduce and even prevent cyberbullying.

Is Online Therapy for Teens a Viable Solution?

The phone, a device once used solely for the purpose of calling one another, has quickly become capable of just about everything.  The birth of mobile phones has brought the world to our finger tips, both good and bad.  And who would have believed a decade ago that these smart portable computers would be in the hands of most kids.

With such a powerful device now available to just about everyone, it becomes more and more of a challenge to limit your child’s usage of their phone. Activities available on a smartphone seem endless; playing games, making music, watching videos, and even browsing the internet. Unfortunately, as with many things in life, without moderation and protections put in place, there can be consequences.

Should I Allow My Child to Get a Phone?

Before asking whether how to limit your child’s phone usage, it is probably worth discussing whether your child should be allowed to have a phone in the first place. A phone is an extremely useful tool for your child to have in order to gain a sense of independence, allowing them to attend after-school clubs or extracurricular activities while staying in contact with you.

While your child may claim that all of their friends have a phone and try to use this as a reason that they should have one, it is up to you to decide at what age it is appropriate and not their friend’s parents. By allowing your child to have a phone at a young age, you are essentially granting them access to an unfiltered and unsafe world that they are not be ready for.

Limiting my Child’s Phone Usage

Luckily, when you decide that it is the right time for your child to have a phone, there are still parental control filters that can be installed to ensure that they aren’t visiting unsafe sites, as well as any site that isn’t age-appropriate. It is also possible to install parental control filters to actually limit the amount of time that they spend online each day. While you may think that installing these filters is all you need to do, it is important that the limits that you set are fair and that you also set a good example for your children with your own phone usage. When necessary, you may want to track your child’s phone.

A Digital Family Alliance

Although parental filters can definitely help, sometimes setting strict limits on your children’s devices while you continue to use yours to your heart’s content can create tension in your household. Creating a digital family alliance is a great way to adopt healthy digital habits together. By being honest with your children, it opens up a dialogue where everyone can contribute, letting each family member explain the difficulties they have when it comes to limiting the amount of time they spend on their phone. After all, how can you expect your children to get away from their phones if you can’t get away from yours?

Is all Phone Usage bad for your Children?

Although we have been talking about limiting our children’s phone usage, it would be wrong to say that all phone usage is bad for them. Having a phone does give your child a sense of independence as well as allowing them to stay in contact with friends and even participate in productive activities.

Today, children can use their phones to learn digital art, how to make music, and even get into photography, the potential is limitless. The point here is that it is important to understand how much time should be spent on non-productive activities such as scrolling through social media or watching endless YouTube videos to name a few. Monitoring the amount of time that they are using their phone for these different activities is crucial to allowing them to enjoy any creative hobbies that they may need their phone for while cutting out the junk food of their digital diet.

Conclusion

So we can agree that our phones are incredibly useful devices when in the right hands. By working together as a family we can create rules that are easy enough for everyone to sustainably adhere to. If you are thinking of limiting your child’s phone usage, make sure to ask them how long they think is an acceptable amount of time to spend on their phones and create an open space where you can discuss your digital week. After all, families can get through anything when they work together.

The internet has enabled a lot of things in today’s modern world. In the early 2000s, the internet changed how businesses advertise their products and services. Many businesses dumped the traditional offline techniques and adopted online advertising through the internet.

Later, they realized that they could not advertise to everybody out there. The need to advertise to relevant audiences gave rise to behavioral tracking. By that we mean, businesses track your online movements and decide whether you’d be interested in what they do before sending ads your way.

This method relies on web cookies and not only tracks previously visited sites but the location, etc. But then, internet users in the mid-2000s discovered ways they’d stop this snooping. They’d disable cookies and use ad blockers, making it daunting for businesses.

But in a bid to keep up behavioral tracking, advertisers are now using new and much more sophisticated techniques. The latest trick that has made tracking possible is device or browsing fingerprinting.  This article will look more into what it is and how it can help companies and advertisers track you.

What is Browsing Fingerprinting?

Device or browsing fingerprinting is a technique initially designed to track internet users for security purposes. It involves browsers gathering individual information of internet users and availing it where needed. This information includes location, device type, screen resolution, language, etc.

Trackers do not need to collect your information at a go. It can take a few browsing attempts to match details and create a unique and accurate fingerprint for every user. Consequently, they can track your online activity and movements without a problem.

This technique has evolved a lot from the time it first got introduced. Recent developments have made cross-browser fingerprinting possible, consequently making tracking more effective. According to experts, this dynamic technique is capable of identifying internet users 99% of the time.

On the positive side, browsing fingerprinting has played an important role in shaping the digital environment. It has enabled analytics and tracking for website owners. You can now know the number of visitors visiting your site and how many visitors return to it.

Online safety that wasn’t a guarantee before fingerprinting is now almost one. For instance, it has played a great role in identifying and preventing credit card and bank fraud. E-commerce fraudsters also now have a headache to try and defeat the wall fingerprinting has built.

How they fingerprint you

Although trackers cannot match fingerprints with real identities, there’s so much they can do you’re your information. Businesses are hiring third-party companies to collect the information we mentioned earlier. Now, their work is to discreetly monitor your digital movements and keep bits of data about you.

The data brokers hired to collect your information create a general profile of you. They look at your interests, from the sites you visit, consider the language you use, your location, and age range to create a pseudo profile for you, and that most of the time turns out to be an accurate representation of you.

Fingerprinting, as mentioned earlier, got developed to foster online security. Website owners create digital fingerprints to prevent identity theft, credit card fraud, software piracy, etc. Thus, many businesses and websites that benefit from it will tell you that it isn’t all that bad.

However, online privacy has been a concern for years, and browsing fingerprinting interferes with it. Companies exploit the information received from data brokers, and that is a consistent privacy violation. Thus, many internet users would rather protect themselves using security tools than have someone collect such critical data without consent.

Browsing Fingerprinting – How to Fight Back

Internet users get faced with a dilemma whenever the browser fingerprinting topic comes up. Of course, people want to find ways to stop it like they do with traditional behavioral tracking. However, the downside is that browsing fingerprinting is naturally difficult to circumvent.

A more positive thing that has come about is that you can, to some extent, prevent browser fingerprinting. Some privacy-first browsers like Tor make every device look the same. That makes it difficult for bots to collect the information required to create a digital fingerprint.

Safari, a browser that belongs to Apple, is another difficult one to fingerprint. Apple has a smaller product line than many mobile devices and PC manufacturers, making most of its devices look similar. Consequently, you become immune to fingerprinting if you’re using an iPhone or Mac.

Firefox is another potential option for internet users looking to avoid fingerprinting. This browser has invested in aggressive default privacy protection features. Besides, there is a word that it is also advancing its protection features to block fingerprinting in the future completely.

You can also use an SSL proxy to fight back browsing fingerprinting. The best thing about using this proxy is that it enhances your online security and privacy at the same time. Besides, they help you remove ads that you do not like and aid in ad verification to reduce online fraud.

Although fighting back on new technology isn’t easy, it is best to give it a try. Technology itself has made it possible to fight back, thanks to the software developments and protection features being added to browsers.

Conclusion

The digital landscape is increasingly becoming complex every day. Consumers are becoming careful about what they have to do to browse securely and privately. Conversely, marketers and advertisers are hungry for customer information as they look to up their marketing game and reach business goals.

New tracking techniques like browsing fingerprinting are becoming popular since traditional reliance on cookies is no longer reliable. However, internet users are also becoming aware of new ways to curb fingerprinting. The use of protective browsers, proxies, and developing new privacy rules seems to work.

With browsing fingerprinting constantly changing with new advancements like cross-browser fingerprinting, you have to be smart enough to prevent it. One of the best things you can do is investing in reliable software, using protected browsers, or purchasing well-protected devices.

Additional Resources:

How to talk to kids about cybersecurity.
Can apps track your location?

In a world dominated by smartphones and tablets, kids don’t have to rely on conventional classroom learning solely. Although cellphones are mostly considered distracting for young minds, they can prove immensely useful if used for the right reasons. Today, kids can learn different skills through websites and mobile apps.

There are excellent online resources that directly assist students in learning the key concepts of mathematics, science, physics and chemistry.

Apps on the other hand, tend to engage kids in acquiring productive skills like design.  While most of these applications are free to download, some entail payment on a monthly or yearly basis.

Here is a glimpse through the prominent features of the top 7 skill development apps for kids:

1.   SplashLearn

SplashLearn, an award-winning math and ELA platform for grades Pre-K to 5 (ages 2 to 11), offers a comprehensive educational experience with over 4,000 interactive learning games, 10,000+ printable worksheets, live classes, and guided lesson plans. It supports diverse learning needs, making education both enjoyable and effective for kids. The program also offers educational games to improve art, creativity, motor skills, logic, and critical thinking.

Some amazing features of these games include personalized learning paths, alignment with the Common Core Standards, cross-platform compatibility, fun rewards, a kid-friendly interface, and tools for monitoring progress. SplashLearn’s resources are completely free for teachers and schools! For parents, it offers a 7-day free trial and affordable subscription plans, beginning at just $7.49 per month when billed annually.

2.   Lumosity

Lumosity is one of the most popular brain training apps aimed at developed concentration abilities, problem-solving skills, and improving memory retention. The app includes a series of games and challenges that tests the user in his/her knowledge of mathematics, language, speed, logical thinking, and other cognitive capacities. It is designed for 13-year-olds and above. Lumosity can be downloaded for free, yet it also has a premium version with a monthly subscription of $11.99. The user can utilize a personalized training program with detailed insights and improvement tips in the premium version.

3.   SketchAR

SketchAR is meant to build creativity and artistic acumen in youngsters. The app uses augmented reality and artificial intelligence for drawing, editing, and gaming. With SketchAR, users can learn to draw cartoons, graffiti, anime, and many other exciting designs. It can be utilized by people of all ages and all levels of expertise. SketchAR also provides courses for drawing lessons to beginners as well as professionals. The software comes in free as well as premium version. Its premium content can be accessed at $9.99/month.

4.   Epic!

Epic! is the best-known reading app for 12-year-olds and below. In the US, over 90% of elementary schools use Epic for inculcating reading and learning skills in children. The app has more than 40,000 eBooks and audiobooks of various genres. It is available in several languages and allows for both online and offline reading. The books are classified by age, types, and interests. The user can also track his/her reading progress and get personalized book recommendations in the app. While the basic version of Epic! is free, the unlimited version can be availed at $9.99/month.

5.   Prodigy

Prodigy is a free gaming app devised to instill mathematical skills and logical reasoning abilities in kids aged 5-14. There are 1400 types of skills available in the app. In Prodigy, every user gets to solve a unique set of puzzles and challenges. Its interactive mathematical games involve questions that aid in the skill development of the kids. The app presents games in order of levels and keeps the players motivated through rewards and opportunities to compete with fellow players. Prodigy is used by millions of students across the world.

6.   Duolingo

As the name suggests, Duolingo is a language learning app and extends a chance to familiarize kids with a wide variety of languages. It is a free app targeted to hone the language skills of 13-year-olds and above. The app provides lessons on more than 30 languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, etc. Kids can grasp any of these languages through simple practice exercises and fun games. Further, it lets you track progress and is made for both beginner and advanced learners. Duolingo is available in a free version as well as a premium version of $6.99/month.

7.   SoloLearn

One of the most desired apps of recent times, SoloLearn is a free coding app created for kids aged 13 and above. It has thousands of topics related to programming and coding concepts, along with activities for practice. With SoloLearn, kids can learn over 10 coding languages, including C++, Python, Java, etc. The app is utilized by millions for learning to code and staying abreast of the field’s latest trends. Apart from the free version, SoloLearn also has a pro model costing $6.99/month.

8.   Flow Free

Flow Free is a free puzzle gaming app that can be used by anyone aged 5 and above. The app has more than 2000 sets of brain training puzzles. There are hundreds of levels to cross and a variety of tasks to check your mental abilities. All the games and puzzles in Flow Free are created with an aim to boost the mental strength and agility of the learners.

The above-listed apps are available on both Android and iOS. The advancements in technology have paved the way for new ways of learning and skill development. However, it is also upon the parents and teachers to guide their kids in the right direction. Most modern software applications come with an adult monitoring mode that lets the parents keep track of their kids’ progress. Accordingly, the guardians can productively direct the development of kids with the help of the latest technology apps.

9.   Solitaired

Try out dozens of popular card games such as Solitaire, Spades, Hearts, Freecell, and several others at Solitaired. The app features each unique game in a variety of difficulty levels, allowing players to continuously improve and develop better strategy and critical thinking. Variations like Freecell aim to bring a faster gaming experience, as all cards are dealt facing up. While this sounds easier in theory, players must form a strategy beforehand. Every game on Solitaired comes with a detailed rulebook, making it ideal for players of all skill levels.

Author Bio
K C Raj is a career counselor and recruiter with many years of experience. Interested in topics like human development, education, immigration, inequality, and many other international issues.
KCR Consultants | LinkedIn.

K C Raj is a socialist in thinking, and believes in “One Nation, One World” theory.