Another challenging year for cybersecurity was 2022. In addition to the alarmingly high rates of frauds, infections, and ransomware attack victims that were expected, the year saw a significant surge in data breaches, especially in its closing months.

Samsung experienced its second significant data breach of the year in September, and in just November, there were two massive leaks that exposed the data of 500 million WhatsApp users and 5.4 million Twitter users. When it was discovered that 200 million Twitter usernames and email addresses were available for purchase on the dark web, the situation in the case of Twitter only got worse.

Fear not, though, for Wranga is here to assist. In light of the foregoing, we decided to compile some essential advice for family healthy habits in 2023.

Top 5 Family Digital Health Habits

1. Plan routine family digital break: Unplugging from the digital world for a set period of time is part of a digital detox. Families can gain a lot by doing this, including:

• improved eye and sleep health,
• stronger social and creative skills,
• more family time,
• more physical activity,
• and more tactile experiences (which is crucial for child development).

Depending on your area and age group, there are countless options for digital detox activities, such as family board game nights or days spent outside. (#Top10 list at the bottom of the blog)

2. New Passwords and Better Security to Begin the Year

Why don't you all get together one evening and reset your 2023 passwords? Make sure your children are aware of the dangers of sharing their accounts and passwords. And it should be a high priority if you or your kids don't have two-factor authentication (2FA) setup.

Parents and kids should only download programmes for mobile devices from the App Store or Google Play, and even then, be sure to read reviews.We at Wranga have extensive reviews for parents. Finally, think about backing up the family's data to a safe hard drive or cloud storage location.

3. Set a good example

Being a parent in the digital age is challenging, but modelling good online behaviour for your kids is one of the best things you can do. One reason is that your kids will also be screen addicts if you are! Being sincere and open with them will help them trust you more deeply at difficult times. Limiting your personal screen time and turning off phone notifications after a set hour when at home are two solid places to start.

4. Discover Your Child's Online Interests and Habits

You may start by getting your youngster to share their favourite internet platforms and activities. This is ultimately your child's world, so it's critical to recognise that, pay attention, and actively engage with it. When it comes to issues involving social media, cyberbullying, and gaming, it will assist to develop consensus and collaboration if you can accept the benefits and drawbacks of our online life together. Additionally, it's a good idea to friend or follow your children on the social media sites they use and to be knowledgeable about lingo (just don't use it yourself!).

5. Set boundaries and teach online citizenship

The act of acting in an appropriate and responsible manner when using digital technology is the best way to define digital citizenship. Simply put, we can't expect kids to understand right from wrong when it comes to appropriate online conduct straight away. In addition to establishing limits on screen usage (such as screen-free dinners and bedtimes), parents should sit down with their kids and go over ground rules like:

• Think about how you want to be treated by others.
• Be upbeat but truthful.
• Before publishing, consider
• DON'T USE DIGITAL DRAMA
• Develop your scepticism
• Be mindful of your online footprint.

This is a question that parents frequently ask me in Wranga's online parenting classes. Here is my top ten list of offline activities that we can engage in.

10 Screen-Free Activities

• Go for a walk in the park.
• Start a sketchbook and do a picture a day together.
• Go watch a cricket/soccer/football game.
• Make your own bubbles.
• Paint with sidewalk paint! Let the kids design some crazy patterns.
• Make a book together — write your own story too.
• Start a home garden.
• Go to a new park & take pictures together.
• Play in a sprinkler.
• Make paper fans — give them to friends and family.

About the Blogger: Amitabh kumar is a child online safety expert, on a mission to make the internet safer for children. He has an out of the box approach towards practical implementation of safety standards on the internet. He works in diverse capacities with big tech companies, like Meta, Twitter, Byte Dance, Netflix, Disney and many more. He is also the CEO and Co-Founder of Wranga: Digital Parenting Platform.