How to Safeguard Your Child's Internet Access
Giving your child access to the internet can be a scary proposition. While being online is a necessary aspect of kids’ lives for schoolwork, communicating with friends, and sharing everyday moments, many corners of the internet are not kid-friendly. For example, almost half of teens report experiencing cyberbullying,[1] but that’s just one of the dangers kids may encounter online.
The good news is this: Feeling scared for your child’s safety doesn’t mean you’re helpless. Child safety experts have studied internet safety for years and have provided excellent insights into how to keep your kids safe. This guide explores some of that research so you can protect your child online with confidence.
In this guide, we aim to help you better understand internet safety for kids and teens by exploring:
- Internet safety tips for kids
- What you can do to protect your child online
- Suggested parental controls for teens
What Is Internet Safety for Kids and Teens?
Today’s children and young adults live in an internet-based world. In fact, 82 percent of people aged 15-24 use the internet daily.[2] So, if your child isn’t already online, chances are they probably will be soon.
But the issue isn’t just the number of young people who are online. It’s the amount of time they are online that is significant. In the U.S., 51 percent of teens spend four or more hours a day using social media. And almost 30 percent of U.S. teens spend six or more hours a day online in general.[1] That’s a lot of exposure, and a lot of opportunity for harm to occur. But the good news is that parents who engage with their children about online safety can significantly reduce the risk of harm.
That engagement is so important. Though it’s natural to assume the worst dangers are rare, the research tells a different story. A 2023 report by the United Nations found that 80 percent of children report being worried about sexual exploitation online.[2] This number is terrifying, but it also highlights why being proactive matters so much.
Here’s something else that research shows: Many child and youth safety online issues don’t involve strangers. Take cyberbullying; it most frequently comes from acquaintances in real life. Issues of online sexual exploitation also typically involve people kids know offline.[3] In other words, the internet doesn’t necessarily create all-new threats to your child’s safety; it can, however, amplify existing ones.
This is an important point because it alters how protecting children online should be handled. Ensuring your child’s safety online requires more than keeping tabs on their screen time and blocking potentially harmful websites. Instead, it necessitates the same kind of relationship-based awareness that good parenting has always required.[3]
How Can Parents Protect Their Child Online?
Knowing the risks the internet poses to your child is one thing; knowing what to do is another.
Working on devising internet safety rules with your child is one of the best things you can do. It allows you to model appropriate online behavior, examine social media apps with your child to identify potential harms, and foster mutual trust with one another.[4]
Furthermore, working with your child to develop digital parenting strategies can give them ownership of the process and make it more likely they will follow the rules you establish.[1]
Of course, the dialogue you have with your child and the protections you put in place depend in large part on their age. Here’s a basic framework for kids up to 17 years of age:
- Under 7: Being on the internet should be a shared activity, so you can directly monitor what your child is doing.
- Ages 7-10: Kids can begin using the internet more independently, but it should only involve websites and apps you’ve explored and approved together.
- Ages 10-13: Now is the time to implement time limits on devices. Also consider restricting internet access to common areas of your home, like the kitchen or living room.
- Ages 14-17: Kids at this age can have more freedom, but it works best when you’ve collaborated on developing the rules for online use.[5]
Establishing Screen Time Rules for Teenagers
One of the most common battlegrounds between kids and parents is screen time. These conversations often aren’t easy, but controlling your child’s access to the internet and social media apps is a central component of any effective digital safety strategy.
When broaching this subject, it’s helpful to base your position on research. On the one hand, it allows you to have a rational, fact-based conversation with your child. On the other hand, it minimizes the likelihood that they could view screen restrictions as an authoritarian move on your part.
A worthy component of this conversation is that time spent scrolling on their phone means less time for taking part in critical developmental activities, such as face-to-face interactions with peers.[6]
Additionally, you can frame screen time restrictions as necessary for mental health: Excessive time online can lead to many issues, ranging from depression and anxiety to attention problems and disrupted sleep. In fact, almost 33 percent of adolescents are online until midnight or later on school nights.[1]
Throwing data like this at your kids likely won’t get you far, though. Instead, take the opportunity to frame time limits around what your child gains, not what they lose. For example:
- Note that limiting screen time allows your child to spend more time with friends and family.
- Explore how offline time can be used for creative pursuits, like playing an instrument or learning new skills.
- Identify physical activities your child can do that improve physiological and psychological health, like riding bikes with friends, playing team sports, or doing yoga.
Discussing screen time limits is a good start. The next step is making sure your child is prepared for even more serious risks.
How to Talk to Kids About Online Predators
Talking about online predators is a conversation many parents dread having with their child. Yet, it’s one of the most important. From 2021 to 2023, the number of cases of online enticement reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children increased by 300 percent.[1] And as noted earlier, 80 percent of kids in a United Nations study reported feeling at risk of being exploited online.[2]
That’s why a discussion of internet safety for kids and teens has to include the delicate subject of online predators. Children who feel safe talking to their parents are much less vulnerable to exploitation. They’re less likely to keep secrets, more open to regular check-ins with you, and more comfortable telling you when something doesn’t feel right.
But try to avoid a “stranger danger” mentality here. It’s worth identifying that most victims of sexual exploitation online know the person exploiting them.[3] This helps your child have a better frame of reference for where online dangers are most likely to come from.
Beyond that, this enables you to have a deeper discussion about healthy versus unhealthy relationships. You can demonstrate appropriate behavior for your child and examine potential dangers in a caring, educational manner. Likewise, this opens up a dialogue about your child’s right to say “no”. It isn’t just a right in the real world; it also applies in virtual environments.
Starting this conversation early gives your child the best foundation for success. But it’s still necessary to understand the warning signs that your child might be the victim of online exploitation. If you’re worried your child may have been victimized, these are the signs to watch for:[7]
- Guarded use of their devices.
- Attempts to hide their online activity.
- Signs of anxiety, depression, or both.
- Angry outbursts.
- Increasingly withdrawn behavior.
Parental Controls for Teens
Parental controls add another layer of practical protection for your child. Along with open communication, the two can provide security without making your child feel like they’re being punished. Below, we give a few guidelines for implementing control and monitoring your child’s internet use.
How to Monitor Your Child’s Internet Use
Monitoring your child’s online activity is best done with a mix of behavioral and technical methods:[1], [5], [6], [7]
- Revisit protocols for keeping devices in public areas of your home.
- Set time limits for your child’s internet use (for example, devices are turned off at 9 pm).
- Require that your children “friend” you on social media.
- Periodically check your child’s social media profiles and posts.
- Add parental control software on devices your child uses.
Monitoring your child’s online behavior also involves learning how to block inappropriate content for kids. Research consistently points to a content filtering approach as the best defense.
Essentially, content filtering involves enabling privacy protections on your child’s devices and configuring privacy settings that minimize data collection.[4] Moreover, you can set device-level controls like Apple Screen Time on iOS devices and Google Family Link on Android devices.
At the same time, work with your child to set parameters to mute notifications during the school day and during typical sleeping hours.[1] You can also reduce the risk of inappropriate content reaching your child by enabling safe search in search engines and restricted modes on popular apps and websites, like YouTube. These settings are by no means foolproof, but they significantly minimize the exposure your child may have to harmful content.
These technical protections may feel like a lot to manage. But the right tools can make it significantly more manageable.
Mission Prep: Professional Advice on How to Keep Kids Safe Online
Experts have identified some of the best parental control apps as Norton Family and McAfee Family Protection, both of which offer social network filtering, data transfer control, website filtering, and search engine filtering, among other essential features.[5], [8]
Tools like these are a critical part of social media safety for teens. But no filter can replace a trusting relationship with your child, and one conversation with them won’t do the trick, either.
The internet will keep evolving, and your approach to protecting your child must do so as well. So, think of this guide not as a checklist, but as suggestions for ongoing practice. Parents who stay connected and engaged are the ones most likely to help their children navigate the online world safely, and perhaps even use it as a tool to improve their mental health.
If you would like further advice and support on how to protect your child’s mental well-being, Mission Prep is here to help. If you would like to explore our treatment options or if you have any questions about how we can help, our team is here 24/7 to assist you. Reach out to us today or email info@missionprephealthcare.com.
