Top Online Safety Tips for Parents and Caregivers

Start an Open Dialogue. Keep talking with your kids about what they do online every day in a curious, not prying, way. Ask open-ended questions like "What's your favorite thing about this app?" so they feel you are interested in their lives. If they know you won't judge them, they will be much more likely to come to you when something goes wrong.

Co-View with Your Kids. Be an active part of your kids’ media lives. This lets you to talk about what they see and help them understand any confusing or problematic content. Sharing these experiences builds trust and makes technology a family activity instead of a source of conflict.

Focus on Content, Not Just Time. Pay more attention to what your child is doing online rather than just how many minutes they spend there. Watching an educational video or connecting with real friends is very different from just scrolling. Look for signs of how the technology is impacting their mood instead of just watching the clock.

Set Household Rules. More than twenty years of research show that rules do make a difference to how kids behave online. But rules shouldn’t be just a list of “Dos” and “Don’ts” or focused on punishment. Instead, rules should communicate the values you want your kids to live by, give kids a chance to earn your trust, tell them how to do things instead of just what not to do, and help them become more independent. At all ages, kids are more likely to follow rules if they understand the reasons behind them. Older kids are more likely to follow rules they helped create.

Model the Rules You Want them to Follow. Your children are much more likely to follow rules that you follow yourself. For example, if you want them to stay off their phones at dinner, make sure you put yours away too.

Set Bedtime Boundaries. Set and keep a regular bedtime routine, and keep smartphones and tablets out of the bedroom. If kids listen to podcasts or music to help them sleep, use a wireless speaker or a device that doesn’t have their messaging and social media apps on it.

Use Privacy Settings. Make sure your child's accounts are set to private so that only people they know can message them or see their posts. Go through the settings together so they understand what each one does and how it protects them. Use device and app settings, and apps like DuckDuckGo, to limit what information their apps can collect about them.

Teach Relationship "Red Flags." Talk to your kids about signs that someone might be trying to manipulate them, such as excessive flattery or asking for secrets. Explain that they should never move a conversation to a private online space. Teach them to trust their instincts, leave any conversation that makes them feel uncomfortable and tell you or another safe adult right away.

Handle Mistakes Calmly. If your child makes a mistake or encounters something bad, stay calm and listen instead of punishing them. If kids fear they will lose their phone, they will stop telling you when they are in trouble. Let them know you are there to help them solve problems, not to catch them doing something wrong.

Use Parental Controls as Support. Use technical tools like filters or time limits as a support for your parenting, not a replacement for it. These tools work best when they are part of an open conversation instead of a "silver bullet" solution. As your child gets older, adjust these controls to give them more independence.

Stay Skeptical of Media Scares. Be cautious about alarming news headlines that try to create panic about new apps or internet trends. Many "scare stories" lead to rules that are too strict and actually keep kids from learning how to be safe. Focus on realistic risks and facts instead of fear-based myths.

To explore these tips in more detail, check out these tip sheets:

Communicating Safely Online: Tip Sheet for Parents and Trusted Adults

Co-Viewing With Your Kids

Dealing With Fear and Media

Family Online Rules

Helping Kids Cope with Media Coverage of War and Traumatic Events

Helping Kids Get a Healthy Start with Phones

Helping Young Kids Get a Healthy Start with Devices

Make Household Media Rules

Media Safety Tips: Early Childhood (Birth To 5 Years Old)

Media Safety Tips: Middle Childhood (6-9 Years Old)

Media Safety Tips: Tweens (10-13 Years Old)