Safe Shopping: Best Practices for Parents to Safeguard Kids on E-commerce Websites

The internet provides numerous opportunities and information to the public. Online shopping has also made everything so convenient. However, if you have kids, it’s better to be on the safe side and let them know the dangers of what can pop up on their next click.

In this post, we’ll walk you through some of the best practices that parents can do to safeguard their kids from ecommerce sites:

Monitor Online Activity

You can track the sites your kids have visited by going over their browsing history. You can go to the browser of their phone and computer and check “history,” to see a lot of sites they’ve previously visited.

You should also be aware that they might delete their browsing history. If this happens, it might be because they’ve visited a site they shouldn’t have. Make sure to make this a part of your discussion where you set out a couple of ground rules. Apps like iPhone’s Screen Time let you set time limits on how long your kid can access a specific app each day.

Use Trusted Websites

Before your kid starts browsing an ecommerce website, make sure that you teach them to always look for the lock on the browser. That’s because reputable sites will always provide a secured website connection 24/7, which is important for ecommerce transactions.

For many shopping websites, SSL is a requirement when making an ecommerce website. The lock symbol on the browser means the website is implementing an SSL connection. This provides secured data transfer between the user and the server. Which is vital on protecting critical user information at the same time.

Keep Personal Information Private

What you post online can affect how friends, teachers, and others view your children. As we grow older, we may also change how we feel about what we post online, which couldn’t be easily erased.

Nothing that you post on the internet these days is ever private. Instantly, anything can be copied, pasted, and posted elsewhere. They can be saved to hard drives, printed, or emailed to someone else. What you post online can easily become permanent, and you can’t take it back.

Use Child-Friendly Search Engines

Another way for your kids to get the best out of their internet and ecommerce experience is to provide kid-friendly search engines.

Usually, these search engines are specifically designed for younger audiences. Usually, popular search engines like Google and Bing offer safe search features to filter out irrelevant or explicit content easily.

Set Spending Limits

Issues like identity theft and scams are relatively common for kids who buy online, but it’s also another risk if your child overspends.

The costs can quickly add up if they don’t keep tabs on what they’re buying. To prevent this, make sure that you limit the time they spend shopping online to 15 minutes. You can also let them use a prepaid or PayPal account which doesn’t limit their shopping time but will cap how much they spend on a particular period.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

You can also teach your kids how to use two-factor authentication and biometrics when they have the option to do so. Two-factor authentication usually uses a password or a pin as proof of their identity.

Let them understand that these services, such as online shopping portals and banks, usually demand security. There are also instances where biometrics are required as well, scanning one’s fingerprint to make a purchase.

Supervise Online Shopping

As soon as your kid knows how online shopping works, you can supervise them when shopping online. They might need guidance on picking the best item. As they learn to make online purchases alone, it’s best to supervise them to know they’re sticking with the rules.

In the same way, smart shopping is an integral part of managing money for kids.

Here are some handy tips to help them learn this skill:

• Talk to your child about a consumer’s values and shopping choices.
• Be a smart shopping role model when planning what you buy.
• Be a role model when shopping online, along with the shops you buy.
• Help your kids with their shopping activities and decisions.

Over to You

So there you have it. These are the basics of how your child can shop online safely and safeguard them from the dangers of online shopping. Lead by example by being a savvy shopper and teach them the knowledge and skills they need to know to make the most of online shopping while avoiding its dangers. Good luck!