Talking about the ways MXit protects its users is one thing, but then there’s the ability for parents to protect their children. Naturally it’s incredibly hard for parents to monitor everything their kids do, but here are several things I found whilst looking around:
- Understanding the environment in which your child communicates is of utmost importance, so install MXit. You wouldn’t let your child stay over at a friends’ house without getting to know the family, so spend some time on MXit so that you understand where your child is interacting.
- Have an open and honest discussion with your child. Tell them about the potential dangers and ask them to tell you if they ever feel that someone is not who they say they are (teens are switched on to this).
- Allocate the amount of time your child can spend on MXit and use your mobile to monitor this.
- If you notice that your child’s time on MXit suddenly drops, check to see if he / she has a secret phone (it could simply mean that they are out of airtime, but check nevertheless).
- Check your child’s contact list regularly and follow up if with them if there is anyone that you don’t feel comfortable with.
- Constantly remind your child (every day if you need to) not to hand out their personal information on MXit.
- Tell your child that he / she should never, under any circumstances, agree to a private offline chat with a stranger.
- Help your child understand that they should never forward or post pictures that could cause embarrassment if passed on.
- If your child fails to heed your warnings and advice, simply install the chat room blocking feature. The educational route is advisable, as children will always find another way to communicate, whether or not on MXit.
Not a bad list at all, whether it’s stopping kids from falling into traps, I don’t think so, but it’s certainly not worth just skipping past this and hoping for the best!
Have you come up with a clever way to protect your kids? Please share with us!
