Back to School: Internet Safety Tips for Kids and Teens

Quick definition: Internet safety for kids refers to the practices, tools, and awareness that help protect children from online threats like cyberbullying, predators, scams, and inappropriate content while they navigate the digital world.

Top 10 internet safety tips for kids and teens

1. Never share personal information like names, addresses, or phone numbers online
2. Keep passwords private and use strong, unique passwords for each account
3. Think before posting. If you wouldn't say it in front of a parent or teacher, don't post it
4. Never respond to messages from strangers
5. Keep social media accounts private and only connect with people you know in real life
6. Tell a trusted adult if something online feels weird, off, or uncomfortable
7. Use caution to public Wi-Fi networks and avoid entering sensitive information
8. Learn to recognize phishing (fraudulent attempts to steal personal information by someone impersonating trusted sources)
9. Remember that nothing online truly disappears
10. Be kind online and report cyberbullying when you see it

There’s a reason kids today are called “digital natives.” Raised with the internet and smart devices, they’ve never known what it’s like to live without Google, a cell phone, or social media.

As a result, screen time isn’t just a part of life—it is life. From online school to gaming to TikTok and group chats, kids are navigating the internet from an early age. Unfortunately, so are online predators, scammers, and cyberbullies who prey on the young and inexperienced.

So while your kids probably know how to work your smartphone better than you do, they may not necessarily know how to stay safe online—a shocking 72 percent of children have experienced some type of online threat, with inappropriate content and cyberbullying cited as the most common threats.

While online threats are real (and scary!), don’t panic. There are plenty of tools and resources to help parents keep their kids safe online. Read on to find out how you can keep your kids safe at all ages.

How parents can keep kids safe online

As parents, one of the most important things you can do to keep your kids safe is to be aware of potential threats and educate yourselves how to keep your children safe online.

A few things parents can do to proactively

• Become familiar with laws protecting kids online. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a federal law that helps protect children under 13 while they’re online. This law is designed to prevent companies and people from getting your kids’ personal information without a parent’s knowledge and consent. The law also prohibits a site or game from requiring children to provide more personal information than needed to interact on the site.
• Use parental controls. They are one of the most powerful tools in your online safety toolbox. Parental controls help protect your kids from inappropriate content by blocking explicit content, search engine results, or chat rooms; allow you to limit screen time; monitoring online behavior and activity, including which sites they’re visiting, time online, and messages sent; and control purchases so you don’t have an “accidental” $100 charge for video game gems.
• Set family rules. This can include keeping the family computer in a public area, making sure kids ask permission before downloading a game or app, don’t post anything mean online, never share personal or family information, and so forth.
• Know where and when to report predatory sites and behavior. If your child has received inappropriate material, contact your local law enforcement agency and report it immediately.

Internet safety for young children

Younger kids (preschool and school age) often get their first exposure to online activities through online games, videos, and educational apps. If your children are younger, it will be important to supervise, educate them on safety in an age-appropriate way, and set strong boundaries.

Safety tips you can share with your school-age kids to help educate them without scaring them include:

• Don’t talk to strangers. Your kids probably already know the importance of not talking to real-life strangers in person. The same goes for internet strangers—never answer messages from people you don’t know.
• Never share personal information. Never share names, addresses, phone numbers, or other private information with anyone. This includes filling out forms.
• Never share passwords. Older kids will probably begin using passwords. These passwords should always be kept private.
• Think before posting or sending. Remind your kids that if they wouldn’t say it in front of their parents or teacher, they shouldn’t post it online.
• If something feels weird, tell a parent or teacher. Let your kids know they should never be embarrassed or scared to tell a trusted adult about something they encountered online.

Key risks for young children

• Exposure to inappropriate content
• Contact online from strangers
• Accidentally sharing personal information

Top tips for this age group

• Supervise online activity

• Use parental controls on all devices

• Teach the "stranger danger" rule for online interactions

Internet safety for teens and young adults

By the time they reach high school and their teen years, most kids are digitally fluent and more independent online. They probably also have social media accounts, online profiles, and a bank account.

However, they also face more risks like cyberbullying, identity theft, phishing, scams, online predators, and damage to their digital footprint (the trail of data left behind through online activity).

Here are some tips you can share with your teens to help keep them safe online

Password security and device safety

• Keep an eye on devices. In the United States, a whopping 95% of teens have a smartphone (or access to one). Encourage teens to keep an eye on their devices and always make sure they are password-protected with a strong passcode.
• Make sure they know security best practices. This includes using strong passwords (and making sure different sites use different passwords), installing malware and virus protection, and keeping software up to date.
• Practice safe habits when away from home. Use caution on public Wi-Fi in places like malls and coffee shops, and make sure not to enter passwords or sensitive information when using them.

Recognizing online scams

• Educate them on phishing scams. Phishing scams occur when cybercriminals pretend to be someone trusted, like your bank, a social media platform, or even a friend or relative, to trick you into giving up personal information. They “fish” for personal information like passwords, bank accounts, and credit card info and can be very convincing. Remind teens to never click on links from emails or text messages and to never enter passwords from links; instead, go straight to the website itself.

Social media privacy

• Keep social media accounts private. Don’t make your personal life public online. Instead, keep social media account private and only add friends and people you know in real life.
• Remember nothing online is really “private” or disappears. Snapchat messages and DMs can easily be screenshotted. Think before you post, send, or share information or images—especially anything you wouldn’t want a parent, colleague, or boss to see.

Online presence and stranger safety

• Be kind online. Cyberbullying is prevalent online; 42% of school-aged kids and teens have reported being victims of cyberbullying. Remind teens that if they or a friend are being bullied online, they should report it to the social media platform.
• Remember stranger danger. While we usually think of stranger danger as a concept for younger children like mentioned above, this topic still applies to teens. Remind teens it is not safe to chat with strangers or respond to messages from people they do not know online.

Key risks for teens

• Cyberbullying (harassment, threats, or humiliation on a digital platform)
• Theft and phishing scams
• Online predators and catfishing (when someone creates a fake online identity to deceive)

Top tips for this age group

• Keep all social media accounts private
• Use strong, unique passwords for every account
• Never click links from unknown sources

Online safety is personal safety

Ensuring your family stays safe online is an important part of your own personal and home security as well.

While you’re discussing online safety with your kids, it’s also a good idea to remind them of safe practices at home, including:

• Making sure kids aren’t sharing codes to your home security system or smart locks (remember, you can always create guest codes for kids’ friends and control access right from your smartphone)
• Checking who has access to your system, including any devices you don’t recognize on your smart devices or system access
• Making strong passwords and ensuring they are changed regularly or if there is every a data breach
• Updating your system as needed, which helps ensure security patches are up to date

Let Vivint help make home a safer place

Ready to upgrade to a smart home system with devices that help make your home a safer place inside and out? Vivint can help. Getting started it easy.Give us a call at 855.822.1220 today.

Frequently asked internet safety questions

Learn more about internet safety for your young kids and teens.

What age should kids start learning about internet safety?

Children should learn about basic internet safety as soon as they begin using digital devices. Start with simple rules and build on concepts as they grow.

What are the biggest online threats to children?

Exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, contact from online predators, phishing scams, and accidental sharing of personal information are common threats to children online.

How can I monitor my child's online activity without invading their privacy?

Use parental controls, keep devices in common areas, have regular conversations about online experiences, and establish clear family rules about internet use.