We live in an age where the internet has become an integral part of our lives. From queries as small as finding an ice cream shop nearby to life-changing decisions like career choices, you can find the answer online.
With the increasing popularity of online learning platforms and career readiness solutions, even, kids are heavily relying on these platforms. As our reliability on these solutions increases, so do the security concerns.
You will be surprised to know that in 2022, 1 in every 43 kids had personal information exposed or compromised. (National Cybersecurity Alliance: Protecting Kids’ Data Privacy) Such statistics are nothing less than a parent’s nightmare and often raise several questions about their child’s online security.
Since we cannot completely eliminate their internet exposure, finding a balance between safeguarding online activities and fostering career readiness is the only solution. In this article, we will dive deeper into this subject and understand how it can be done.
The Importance of Online Safety
Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital exposure of youngsters has drastically increased. The shift to online classes could be one of the excuses for it, but regardless of the reason, this digital dependency exposes them to various risks like data breaches, privacy violations, cyberbullying, and inappropriate content.
All of these things can have severe effects on a child’s mental well-being. Parents should ingrain and promote security awareness among their children. This will not only help protect them from cyber threats but will also come in handy when they start working. Having a professional template for their digital identities can help children present themselves effectively to future employers.
DO YOU KNOW?Parents find too much screen time and access to inappropriate material, the top two most concerning things about their child’s internet habits.
Fostering Skills for Career Readiness
At some point in their lives, your kids must work and build a career for themselves, so why not prepare them in advance? Teaching children useful skills is as important as ensuring cybersecurity for them.
Parents can enroll them in a variety of online courses or webinars to learn something that they find interesting and develop essential skills required in jobs. This way they will not only acquire useful traits but also gain certificates to enhance their resumes.
The Role of Guidance in Career Exploration
It is said that, “If you cannot see where you are going, ask someone who has been there before.”Making decisions about their career can be quite an overwhelming responsibility for children, and this is where counseling comes into play.
The rightguidance empowers students by boosting their self-confidence, providing clarity, and enhancing their job skills as they navigate their way toward a rewarding and profitable career path.
There are multiple ways for kids to obtain career guidance, including:
Career counseling sessions
Informational interviews with experts
Participation in career fairs
Online career assessments
Discussions with mentors or trusted advisors
These options can help eliminate confusion and provide the right direction to the students.
Teaching Digital Etiquette
A child must know how to interact with others online to socialize and communicate effectively. To teach your childrenDigital etiquette, you must prioritize two essential principles: respect and kindness.
Make it clear that the people they encounter online are real individuals with their own feelings and emotions, similar to those they meet in everyday life.
Emphasize the need to treat others with respect and to practice kindness in every online interaction, whether it involves friends, classmates, or strangers.
Additionally, guide them to post things mindfully on the internet as it is not the safest place, especially for kids, and can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. These skills will also help them convey their ideas and thoughts effectively in their professional lives
Building Resilience Against Online Challenges
The internet is not filled with only the positives, there are chances that even after adequate measures your child may face online challenges like cyberbullying, trolling, etc. These things can have an adverse impact on a child’s emotional and mental well-being.
That is why they need to be resilient and mentally strong to handle all this, since we cannot change everyone in this world, but can condition ourselves to be strong. Being resilient will also help them stand tall in their professional lives and take criticism (which is inevitable) more healthily.
In all this, parents should support and try validating children’s feelings to help them navigate through this difficult situation.
TRIVIA 88 percent of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error.
Nurturing Critical Thinking Skills
Critical thinking is considered one of the most important skills in the current employment landscape. Kids are curious on their own, and a bit of support from the parents can help nurture critical thinking competencies in them.
Most children are smarter than we give them credit for, try discussing current events and different intellectual subjects with them. This will stimulate their creative thinking skills. Also tell them that everything they see online is not the ultimate truth and teach them to differentiate between facts, lies, and opinions.
Cultivating a Growth Mindset
You are not born smart, you become smart. Just as fertile soil nurtures a plant, the more enriching your support and guidance are for your child, the more their mind thrives.
To foster a growth mindset in children, parents should look beyond their natural talents and value their efforts. This will motivate them to work even harder the next time and encourage them to face their challenges head-on and view obstacles as growth opportunities.
This mindset will not only benefit them in their personal life but also help them climb the ladders of success in their career.
Bridging Online Safety and Skill Development
Digital literacy serves as a powerful shield against digital dangers, making it essential to recognize the value of proper digital education in safeguarding children on the internet.
Parents must encourage their kids to maintain a positive online image and act thoughtfully, as a digital footprint can never be erased and a mistake made in their early years may cost them a lot in their professional lives.
Final Take!
As we discussed in this article, in the current world, with more youngsters using technology for learning and practicing, the risks of cyberattacks are more than ever. But parents need to understand that with a few precautions and guidance, they can ensure that their child remains secure in the digital world and fosters career readiness at the same time.
Teaching digital etiquette, resilience against challenges, nurturing critical thinking, cultivating a growth mindset, and bridging online safety and skill developments can help children exhibit excellence in both their personal and professional lives.
Gaurav Rathore
