These days, it’s nearly impossible to meet a kid or a teenager who isn’t passionate about the Internet. From the countless cat videos, to fierce fandoms, to every game genre you can imagine, the Internet is filled with amazing things. This is why kids barely leave home to go out with friends–they’re already talking to each other online, from the comfort of their own beds, with a bag of potato chips within reach.
If you’re a parent or a guardian, and have witnessed the aforementioned description of a kid in your home, welcome to the digital age. You may badger your kids to take a break from their gadgets, but before you renounce the Internet completely, hear this:
Let the kids use their Internet time earning money.
Not only would they get to stay glued to their social networking dashboards, they will also get to be productive, and possibly save up for that pair of sneakers they’ve been eyeing.
Looking for ideas to pitch to your kid’s small-time gig? Here are five ways kids earn money online:
1. Sell Stuff Online
They’ve outgrown the toys and the clothes they hounded you for. Now, all this stuff is piled up on the darkest shelf of their closet, or the saddest corner in the attic. Help your kids sort through all the stuff they no longer use, and put them for sell online. You can help take photos for posting on either online auction sites or social media.
2. Play Games
Before you grab the game controllers out of your child’s hands, why not suggest that they put their gaming skills to good use by earning their own money? A lot of programmers are looking for people to test the games, and will pay for it. Aside from the professionals, kids are often the best reviewers of games since they make up a huge chunk of the creators’ target market. Over time, when your kid becomes adept at playing, they can even join competitions where they can win cash prizes and earn bragging rights.
3. Do Online Research
I’m not suggesting that you let your kids offer their research skills to their classmates in exchange for money. A better idea, for instance, is to offer research assistance to college students or academic professionals. The tasks may be as simple as looking up pertinent information or verifying data online, but can be more complicated depending on the skills of the child.
4. Write and Blog
If your kid can seriously write stuff that is fun to read and engaging, encourage them to start a blog and make money from it. Some of the things they can write about are reviews of restaurants, video games, movies, and books. They can also create videos of themselves holding tutorials on fun ideas, such as how to pronounce Versailles properly, or what kind of makeup is appropriate for certain events. Remind your blogger kids that they can have ads put up on their sites or invite certain brands, especially the startup ones, to send goods their way in exchange for a review.
5. Design and Take Photos
Writing and researching aren’t the only disciplines that thrive in the Internet money-making scene; there’s also art and design. There are many artists who create illustrations or take photos and sell them online. If your kid is adroit at these fields, urge them to start an art blog and sell their artwork. They can also sell their work to different organizations that use photographs for advertising purposes.
As a parent, you need to remember that the presence of opportunities like these doesn’t mean you should strong-arm your kids into working. It’s important that they are willing to at least give it a shot and that they are aware that you support them. If it pushes through, guide them to the nitty-gritty of business, such as making deals, securing payment, and even delivery. Lastly, make sure that their little enterprise doesn’t get in the way of being kids. Let them have fun while earning money.
Featured photo credit: Lars Plougmann via flickr.com
