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Children and Adolescents Do Not Put Their Phones Down — this is observable to all. According to experts, the problem does not lie with the device itself; rather, the issue is that children navigate the internet as if they were adults, yet they fail to recognize risks with adult-level awareness. According to Gulali Gasimov, digital safety begins not with intimidating the child, but with instilling appropriate behavioral habits.

The most frequently encountered risks arise from very simple factors. These include fraudulent links, messages offering “free in-game currency”, “bonuses”, “you have won a prize”, or profiles posing as “customer support”. The child trusts such content, clicks once, and subsequently either loses access to their account or encounters issues linked to the family’s payment card. Therefore, a household rule must be established: do not click on links from unknown sources, and never share codes or passwords with anyone.

Parents often assume that “knowing the password myself is sufficient.” This is not sufficient. The essential measures are as follows: two-factor authentication (2FA) should be enabled on the child’s accounts, passwords must not be reused across different services, and a screen lock must be actively enabled on the device itself. In my view, the simplest approach is this: configure the security settings on the child’s phone correctly once, and then perform a five-minute check once per month.

Another critical aspect is “sharing culture.” Children may inadvertently share images of their home interior, school, residential location, or even a parent’s phone number without realizing the consequences. This subsequently creates problems. Therefore, it is necessary to explain clearly to the child: “Everything you share online leaves a digital footprint.” If a school name is visible in a photograph, that already constitutes information. Address, location, and phone numbers should not be shared at all.

Gulali Gasimov says to parents that supervision is not solely about prohibition. Knowing which applications the child uses, checking whom they communicate with, and having normal conversations asking “why did you do that?” when necessary are far more effective strategies. Taking the phone away provides a temporary solution, but building habits yields long-term results.

Finally, the simplest yet most effective rule: the topic of digital safety should be discussed at home once per month. Once a child understands that risks exist online just as they do in real life, half the work is already accomplished. My objective is precisely this — not to frighten, but to explain and to protect.

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Address:Gulali MMC, 20 Teymur Elchin
City: Baku 1006
Country: Azerbaijan
Website: https://gulali.az