A Parent’s Guide to Teaching Internet Safety to Children

The internet has become, undoubtedly part of our lives. But, for all its benefits, it also has risks, especially when we’re talking about children. 

Making sure they understand how to stay safe online is crucial to help them have a great experience while they share with others, without the risks. 

So, whether your children are young or grown enough to own their phones, creating a calm environment is the way to start. 

Teaching them about internet safety is a must, and you can also take the opportunity to build trust with them. 

Let’s dive in!

The importance of internet safety

Social media is the first aspect you need to tackle with your kids. Research has shown that 93% of teenagers are using social media platforms, and the number will most likely keep growing. 

This is how you can keep them safe while they enjoy sharing content with their friends. 

Communicate with them

Establish a bond of trust and open communication with them. They should be able to talk to you about their experiences on social media, the good and the bad, without you judging them. 

They’re bound to find something problematic or downright disturbing at some point; you can teach them how to manage on these occasions. 

How to set the right rules

Negotiating about rules is something that can put a lot of stress both on the parents and on the children. However, they’re very necessary. 

These are some ground rules around internet usage that you should consider: 

• Limit the time they spend in front of a screen. 
• Limit the amount of websites and apps they can visit. 
• Explain to them how to share only appropriate content. They shouldn’t be posting too much personal information, which can get them doxxed or harassed.

Educate them about the importance of privacy

People, in general, but especially teenagers, need to understand that personal information can be easily exploited and even stolen. 

They can’t share details such as their full address, their phone number, or the school they go to.  

Make sure they understand some of the consequences they can face for sharing such things. Tell them about doxxing, harassment, and similar behaviors that start in the online world but have real-life consequences. 

If you’re worried about their privacy, you can get a VPN from Surfshark and teach them how to activate it and how it works so that their activities online remain encrypted. That way, hackers will have a much harder time getting to them. 

Help them recognize a fake website

Your kids should learn quickly how to spot a fake website. They should quickly be able to identify the two telltale signs of a safe website:

• The padlock icon.
• The “https” in the URL. 

Teach them critical thinking skills

This is essential for kids who are just starting the “digital” side of their lives. They need to make informed decisions, after all. 

Questioning what they see

Kids especially should question the content they see online. Fact-checking is a skill that, once learned, lasts for a lifetime. They need to be digitally literate. 

Understanding online friends

Social media helps build relationships, and this is exactly what the majority of students in grades 3 – 12 said. The internet can help people make a positive impact in their community, and find like-minded people to share hobbies and activities with. 

But online friends aren’t the same as real-life friends. The people they meet online might not always be upfront about their identity, and they need to be careful if they are going to meet their online friends. 

Make sure they trust you so that they open up to you if they find something strange. 

To sum up

Online safety is an ongoing process you’ll have to start earlier than you think. 

Prioritize communication and trust so that you can have educated debates with them, and explain to them how the rules work and why. 

*This is a collaborative post