Policewoman advises on how to take care of your kids on the internet. A method every parent should know
4:27 PM EDT, October 11, 2023
In a joint action with NASK, Deputy Inspector Małgorzata Sokołowska, known from the "From a Policewoman's Diary" channel on Facebook, advises parents on how to ensure the safety of their children in - aptly enough - social media. This is a method that every parent can use, without any additional preparation.
A policewoman suggests a simple way to find out what topics children are interested in on the internet, using the content suggestion algorithm in apps. As suggested in a short video, a parent should simply sit down with their child on the couch and together browse through their favorite apps, paying attention to suggested posts, photos, or videos. Social media algorithms constantly analyze user interests, proposing content that best fits them.
While reviewing the proposed materials, you can therefore deduce what content the child most often views. Of course, it should not be assumed that absolutely all proposed materials are a reflection of the child's preferences (algorithms sometimes experiment with recommending content typical for a certain age group), but most of them should. It's worth considering whether the materials suggested by the algorithms correspond to the values that the parent expects to be adhered to.
It's worth remembering that online safety is not only an issue of access to adult content, but also the aspect of attacks and threats carried out, for example, through phishing. It's worth regularly discussing with children about the problems you can encounter on the internet and regularly updating the software on their smartphones. In this way, you can be sure that the device is technically ready to repel known attacks that the manufacturer has included in its updates for the operating system.