How Do You Explain the Internet of Things Concept to a 10-year-old Kid? Let’s Answer the Question

The IoT or the Internet of Things refers to the billions of physical devices connected to the internet and collecting and exchanging data around the world. It’s now feasible and easy to turn everything and digitalise anything, from a pill to a plane, into a part of the Internet of Things, thanks to the advent of super-cheap computer chips, technology and the widespread availability of wireless networks.

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Connecting all of these attaching sensors and diverse products to them gives devices that would otherwise be dumb and simple a level of digital intelligence, allowing them to convey real-time and easy data without involving a person. It is combining the digital and physical universes to make the fabric of the world around us smarter and more responsive.

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How Do You Explain the Internet of Things Concept to a 10-year-old Kid?

Toys that connect to the internet are known as the Internet of Toys. These toys may be controlled via a smartphone app, voice instructions, or a Bluetooth connection, similar to the Internet of Things.

Connected toys differ from traditional toys in that they use the internet to gather, use, and exchange data. This information could include personal information such as the user’s age or location, as well as microphones and cameras that record what they see and hear.

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What are Some Examples of the Internet of Things?

Any physical thing or service that can be controlled or connected to the internet or communicate information can be transformed into an IoT device.

An IoT device is a lightbulb that can be turned on anywhere and anytime using a smartphone app, just as a motion sensor, a smart thermostat in your office, or a linked streetlight. An Internet of Things gadget could be as cute as a child’s toy or as serious as a robot that is driving a car.

Some larger devices, such as a plane engine, maybe loaded with numerous smaller IoT components and devices, such as thousands of relaying data back and sensors gathering to ensure it is running efficiently.

What is the Purpose of the Internet of Things?

The term “internet of things” or loT which is usually preferred refers to devices that aren’t often assumed to have a wireless internet connection and can communicate with the network and technology without human intervention.

As a result, a PC or computer isn’t commonly considered an IoT device, nor is a smartphone or cellphone, despite the latter’s abundance of sensors. However, a smartwatch, fitness band, or other wearable device might be considered an IoT device.

How Do You Explain IoT to a Child?

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Risks Attached to loT

While linked devices and toys give chances for learning and interactive play for children, there are certain concerns associated with them.

• There have been concerns that these devices are collecting too much personal data from minors.
• Some children can use a connected device such as a smart speaker to search for and access age-inappropriate content (either accidentally or on purpose).
• Some of these devices may be more vulnerable to monitoring and hacking, as there are currently no security or safety standards in place for connected devices
• Children may make ‘in-app purchases’ and spend money, which is often taken from their parent’s bank account without their knowledge or consent.
• Some of these devices may be more vulnerable to monitoring and hacking, as there are currently no security standards in place for connected devices.

Fortunately, there are steps you may take to reduce your risk.

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How to Secure IoT?

Examine several items and read customer reviews on the internet. This is a terrific method to learn more about a product, such as age limitations and credibility, as well as hear from other parents directly. Product manuals will also tell you about the device’s privacy and how to utilise it.

Make use of the parental controls on your home broadband and any other internet-connected device. To limit the material your child can view online, enable the ‘SafeSearch’ function on your connected device and search engines.

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Review It

Change the default password when you buy a connected gadget or toy. Use a strong password that is difficult to guess and don’t share it with anyone. Set your Bluetooth-enabled gadgets to ‘undiscoverable’ to prevent your youngster from sharing data or pairing with an unfamiliar device.

Some linked devices or toys rely on your child’s voice commands to function, thus these devices normally record and save these audio recordings. Learn how to evaluate and/or delete audio files by consulting the instructions. You can use the mute button on your child’s connected gadget if it has a microphone. This will disable the device’s ability to record and save audio files.

Talk to Your Child

Include linked devices in your online safety discussions, reinforcing the idea that if your kid sees or hears something that worries them, they can talk to you or another trusted adult. More advice on how to start a conversation about online safety may be found here.

loT and Artificial Intelligence

IoT devices generate a lot of data, whether it’s about the temperature of an engine, whether a door is open or closed, or the reading from a smart metre. All of this IoT data must be gathered, saved, and analysed. One way businesses are making the most of this data is by feeding it into artificial intelligence (AI) systems that utilise it to generate predictions.

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Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has given you all the information about loT that you are looking for to explain to your child. The article has covered everything about loT, its risks and also how can you minimise them for your children, so read them carefully.

As the cost of sensors and communications falls, it becomes more cost-effective to add more devices to the IoT – even if there is little visible advantage to customers in some circumstances. Most firms that are experimenting with the Internet of Things are still in the trial stage, because the requisite technology – sensor technology, 5G, and machine-learning powered analytics – is still in its early stages of development.

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