Keeping Kids Safe Online: 10 Essential Tips for Parents

The internet is amazing. And it’s inescapable. Parents, teachers, and other authority figures are beginning to recognize that, even with limited screen time, younger generations are going to be permanently and inextricably linked to their online presence.

The best way to ensure their safety for a lifetime is to teach them how to protect their privacy online from a young age.

Here are 10 easy tips for keeping kids safe online:

1. Personal = Private

Teach your little ones about personal information. Let them know that their name, address, phone number, and anything about their school (including the name of their teacher) is not ever something they should share online. Encourage them to use a nickname instead of their own first name for extra security. 

2. The Strength of a Password

Just like a secret handshake, a password should be something you memorize and lock away. Encourage them to learn how to use a mix of numbers and letters and avoid anything obvious like their address or the name of their dog. 

3. Let the Privacy Settings Protect You

Stay on top of your child’s privacy settings and show them where they live within the apps they use. Regularly review who can see and access what and never allow them to grant access to strangers. 

4. Restrict Apps and Sites

Even though some sites and social media apps have age restrictions for use, those are easy to find workarounds by savvy kids and smart young users. Make sure they are never accessing them without your consent, even when they do reach the age requirement. 

5. Check Every Link

Learn how to review links before they are clicked and demonstrate to your children how to check the directed address prior to tapping on a link. When keeping kids safe online, show them how to match the link text with where it’s actually directing you and underline to them to never, ever follow a link if they do not know and trust the sender. 

6. Recognize Cyberbullying and Be Kind

Kindness online is an underrated skill and one that needs to be nurtured in your kids. Remind them that the people they interact with via games and apps are real and should be treated with respect. At the same time, they should know how to recognize when they are being mistreated. Encourage them to always come to you and to trust their gut if something feels wrong or unsafe. 

7. Report and Block

Show your littles how to report and block accounts if something weird happens, if they receive a negative or threatening comment, or if an unknown user starts interacting with them. They also should be reminded to show you and trust that they will not be punished for what might appear in their social media or on a game—another important reminder to do the regular check-ins yourself as the parent. 

8. Game with Friends

Stay on top of which popular games are age-appropriate for anyone in your household who might be playing. Make sure they have known and trusted kids their age on their gaming “friends” list and remind them that not everyone online is who they say they are. 

9. Software Updates

Software updates can be explained to kids like a check-up from their doctor. Demonstrate the importance of checking for updates every so often so that their phone or computer is not vulnerable to spyware or any other cyber threats.

10. Be a Safe Person

The terrifying truth is that kids can find themselves in a sticky situation online simply because they are afraid of getting in trouble from their parents or teacher. Even if they have done something they were instructed not to, their safety is never worth being compromised because they are afraid to ask for help. Keeping kids safe online means reminding them that they are precious and that you will never be angry with them if they always come to you with the truth.