Kaspersky is reiterating its call for Filipino parents to continue being more vigilant when monitoring their kids’ online habits. This comes as the country gets subjected once more to a pandemic lockdown, which prompts heavier use of the internet these days.
The global digital security vendor warns that children will never be fully safe when they are logging online. Thus, the company underlines parents’ major role in helping ensure the safety and security of minors whenever the kids go online to learn and play.
“It’s easy for Filipino parents to feel confident knowing that they’ve been physical with their children at home 24/7 for one year already,” said Kaspersky’s Territory Manager for the Philippines Mary Grace Sotayco. “We’re all too familiar with the daily routine of most families these days—parents work online while children study virtually at the same time. But I want to remind my fellow parents that we can never rely on our children’s judgment and we can never be sure what is on the other side of the screen, too.”
Based on Kaspersky’s latest local data (2020), about 43.09 of Filipino children these days are into social media messaging, while 34.75% are into watching videos and listening to music and about 14.37% are into playing online computer games. The data were anonymously collected from devices with installed Kaspersky solutions (respondents willingly opted to include their data on the Kaspersky Security Network).
Meanwhile, aside from conferencing platforms facilitating home-based learning sessions, messenger functions of social media apps have also emerged as among the main tools for communications among peers. Streaming contents (video and audio formats) have become the most in-demand entertainment source, while the eSports industry got a boost as traditional live sports events remain on hold.
Helping protect kids online
Kaspersky also revealed that it has blocked attempts of Filipino children to visit online sites related to risky content like pornography (0.08%), deadly weapons (0.07%), internet gambling (0.05%), and drugs (0.03%).
“We will not be able to eradicate the existence of vices on the Internet, such as pornography, gambling, content around hate and discrimination, and even weapon or drug use, nor can we completely prevent children from being exposed to them as they continue to grow independent,” said Kaspersky Southeast Asia General Manager Yeo Siang Tiong.
“However, aside from setting in place the appropriate cyber-safety measures for our children, we can also educate them to form a healthy understanding and recognition of these vices and guide them as they start discerning their use of the internet.”
Tips for parents
Kaspersky says it should not be an excuse if some parents think they are not very familiar with modern technology. The company shares the following tips to protect kids against threats popping up as they go online:
- Surf the internet with your child. Not only can it be a bonding activity but it can also give an idea about the sites frequented by their kids online.
- Be sure all devices are in common areas. This will make kids more conscious, thinking that you are around monitoring online use.
- Install a safe search technology like Kaspersky Safe Kids when you can’t be physically present all the time to monitor them.
- Set a limit for kids’ online use. Find out if your devices’ operating systems can allow you to time kids’ online activities.
- Teach kids how to block and report whenever they counter inappropriate content online. Doing so can empower the kids to feel more in control.
Kaspersky Safe Kids, which is included in the Kaspersky Total Security package, allows parents to manage the time spent online by their kids. It also blocks access to malicious content and sites. The tool scans content and sends alerts to the Kaspersky Security Network.
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