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Equip children with good online money habits

As money increasingly becomes just numbers on a screen, it can be difficult for children to understand its value and importance. Working with online safety expert, Karl Hopwood, we've created this hub to help parents support young people about building good online money management habits. You'll also find guidance on how to help them have a better understanding of how to manage their money online and make more informed decisions.

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Online money management guide to support children | Internet Matters

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Equip children with good online money habits As money increasingly becomes just numbers on a screen, it can be difficult for children to understand its value and importance. Working with online safety expert, Karl Hopwood, we've created this hub to help parents support young people about building good online money management habits.

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So, Angelica says, if something is more memorable, it can help facilitate the transfer of the experience from the game into your everyday life.

There are a couple of studies that Angelica has done that are currently under review, that look at what makes people more susceptible to GTP, as this may help figure out why it happens at all. She's found so far that people who fantasise, daydream, are easily distracted and find their mind wandering fairly often all seem more prone to GTP. Young gamers also seem to have more frequent GTP experiences than adults, but Angelica has so far found no difference between men and women.

But what consequences can GTP have on gamers that experience it? In general, Angelica says that "more people have reported GTP as something pleasurable and sometimes gamers actually try to induce the experiences," however there are times when GTP can be scary.

You can imagine why - if something weird pops up unexpectedly in front of your vision, depending on what it is, it can really take you by surprise. Angelica says that it can particularly distressing "when the experience takes many different forms or is experienced recurrently".

She adds that "the consequences also depend on the context and the circumstances" - seeing Tetris blocks before you go to sleep is wildly different to seeing them when you're driving, for example.

Different types of GTP can be more stressful than others, too: "It seems that auditory experiences cause more distress" Angelica says, "because when you hear something you don't know where it comes from", and it may take longer than visual GTP for you to confirm if it's real or not. If you're worried by any experiences you're having, you should talk to someone you trust about them, like a parent or GP.

But there are positives to experiencing GTP too - gamers who have shared experiences of GTP find it's something they can bond over: "Sometimes gamers who experience GTP feel like part of a group, because they all experience GTP and it becomes a different way to joke and to share different things."

Angelica says issues with GTP tend to arise when gamers hide their experiences from others, because they don't want to come across as weird. She wants to encourage open discussion about it, and normalise the things gamers see, hear and feel: "This is why one of the main goals of my research has been to talk about it... so these experiences are not misinterpreted."

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So, Angelica says, if something is more memorable, it can help facilitate the transfer of the experience from the game into your everyday life. There are a couple of studies that Angelica has done that are currently under review, that look at what makes people more susceptible to GTP, as this may help figure out why it happens at all.

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Net Aware is closing. The partnership between the NSPCC and O2, which created Net Aware, will be coming to an end after a fantastic six years and the Net Aware site will soon be closing down. Visit the NSPCC Online Safety Hub to find advice and resources to help keep every child safe online.

Net Aware has partnered with Ambitious about Autism to bring online safety tips, advice and activities specifically for parents and carers of children with SEND. We spoke to parents of children with a range of special educational needs such as dyslexia, autism and speech and language difficulties.

Letting your child go online can be intimidating; you might worry about the different spaces they explore, the people they meet digitally and the potential for things going wrong.

Being online can be positive for children and young people, including those with additional needs. So much of our communication now happens online, either by messages, in a game or through a video call. Sometimes online platforms like the apps, social media sites and games your child accesses can help them connect and make friends with new people that they might not know offline.

As a parent or carer, you play an important role in helping to make sure your child has a positive experience online. When your child has additional needs, your role can be even more important, and it can feel like a lot of responsibility when you hear about some of the risks young people face online.

Are you used to using Photo Symbols to help your child? We have created two conversation starters for you to use.

We spoke to a group of parents and carers who have children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) and asked them to share their top online safety tips.

Use our reviews and advice on the apps, games, and sites your child is using. This knowledge will help you feel more confident answering any questions they might have.

"I would advise all parents to download the apps that their children are using just to familiarise yourself with how they work." Kelly, parent of a 15 year old.

If things do go wrong, create a script or visual story to explain the actions they can take, who they can talk to and what to do if they get upset. Help them visualise what to do and how to question things that don't feel right. Use the one ' One page profile ' and find out more about your child's interests.

"Let them know they can talk to you anytime about anything" Mohammed, parent of a 15 year old.

Showing interest in what your child is doing by asking them to show you how things work or what they enjoy about specific games or apps. It is likely that they are the experts and could teach you a thing or two! By showing your child that you have an interest in what they do online, they are more likely to come to you when things go wrong. You could use our ' Online one page profile ' to support these conversations.

When someone sends you something upsetting online, the best thing to do is stop responding and remove yourself from the conversation. Showing your child how to report, block and mute users on their favourite platform is a good way to help them feel prepared if they ever receive something unkind online.

"It is important children feel they can report comments that have upset them." Sally, parent of an 18 year old.

Remind your child to report any comment, video, or image they see that upsets them or that could upset someone else. Muting is an option available on some platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. When you Mute an account the other user can still send you messages and see your account, but you won't be able to see their posts or messages on your timeline or inbox. It can also be a good way to hide a message without notifying the other person.

Blocking is a good tool to use if your child is contacted by someone they don't know offline or someone that keeps sending them unkind messages. While muting stops you from seeing what someone says unless you look for it, blocking stops them from being able to communicate with you or see what you are doing.

The online world makes it easier for people to be anonymous. People might behave in a way they wouldn't do offline and say unkind things they wouldn't say to someone's face. When someone repeatedly sends unkind messages to another person this is called cyberbullying or trolling.

Accounts or people that behave in this way, might not always be telling the truth about who they are. They might use another person's pictures, a different name, a different location or be lying about their age. This can make it harder for the person sending the messages to be reported or blocked from the platform.

" Encourage safe friendships and make them aware if this changes and this person starts asking for things or shows threatening behaviour, how to report." Shakti, parent of a 13 year old.

As well as speaking to your child about people they haven't met, you should also remind them that even people they know offline, such as friends from school or clubs, might behave differently online.

For example, someone might pretend to be a friend but is using that relationship to be mean to, manipulate or exploit someone who is more 'vulnerable' than them. A person might use the social isolation or low self confidence that someone has to their advantage.

Make sure to regularly check in with your child about who they're talking to online and what kind of things they chat about. Exploitative friendships, sometimes known as 'mate crime', can happen in different ways but might include:

Pressuring people to give money

Asking someone to share things about themselves that should be private

Asking some to share images, videos or livestreams that are considered sexual

To support your child, help them build an understanding of how some people can behave online, and remind them that you're always there for them if they want to talk. Our Online safety quiz or Friendships activity could help with this conversation.

"Talk through what happened, what was said or anything that they may have seen that has been upsetting or confusing." Linda, parent of a 16 year old.

Many parents and carers worry about who their child might meet when playing games online or using social media. Look at setting up parental controls and privacy settings to interact with others safely, starting with playing with those they know offline or in a space that is just for them and their friends.

This can be done by setting up private rooms or 'lobbies' in games. Find out more about the apps, games and sites they are using by looking at the Net Aware information, especially the privacy settings and parental controls.

"If you know other parents, set up set times for playing in secure rooms" Conor, parent of a 13 year old.

For social media, if age-appropriate, this can be a private account which connects your child to those they know offline, like friends from school or family members. Talk to your child about what is appropriate for them to share on social media and agree some rules around when they can use it. Remind them that everything they post online can be traced back to them so it's important to think before you post anything on your account. And make sure they know they can always come to you if they have any questions about anything they see online.

Most devices have settings that let you set restrictions around what sites your child can access. Be open with your child about these settings if you choose to enable them and explain that they'll help keep them safe when they're spending time online. Filling in our Family Agreement is a good way of supporting these conversations.

A lot of the focus can be on other people's behaviour when it comes to the online world. But it's important to make sure your child understands what is expected of them when they go online as well. You might want to talk to them about what language is and isn't appropriate to use and discuss ways they can respect other people's privacy online. Remind them that they should never send unkind comments to anyone, not even in response to something someone else has said.

"I encourage my child to be kind and respectful to everyone as well as to keep safe and to tell me about any 'not nice' things that cause him upset." Mandy, parent of a 5 year old and an 8 year old.

Often without tone and body language, it can be difficult to understand what someone is trying to say or how you are being perceived. It is important to teach your child about how different communication styles might be interpreted - although they may not have meant offense it might be taken as offensive.

We have worked with Ambitious about Autism and parents and carers who have children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) to create activities to help talk about online safety.

Get emails on the latest social networks, apps and games your kids are using, so you're always up to date.

Sign up

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Net Aware has partnered with Ambitious about Autism to bring online safety tips, advice and activities specifically for parents and carers of children with SEND . We spoke to parents of children with a range of special educational needs such as dyslexia, autism and speech and language difficulties.

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In November PlayStation released their newest console, the PlayStation 5. This blog looks at some of the features that are available including parental controls and certain restrictions you can incorporate to keep young children safe when gaming.

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PlayStation 5 - Setting up a lead account

PlayStation incorporates a variety of settings to help keep your family safe whilst gaming, including ways to keep safety settings in your control from the moment you hit start

If you are a parent or guardian, you may want to give yourself control over what is allowed on your new console. Setting yourself up as the lead account holder can allow you to create Child Accounts for the rest of the family which are then managed by you, the Family Manager. Doing this also gives you options to implement such as:

Restricting screen-time

Controlling purchases and spending limits

Disabling voice chat and text messages

Restricting access to certain media and blocking content

To create a lead account as the Family Manager, you will need to sign up to the Playstation Network. It's free to set up and you won't need to provide any payment information if you don't want to.

You will be able to create a new account by putting in some basic information, such as your Name, Date of Birth, Address and chosen Password. You find out more about Password Management here.
Please Note: If you had a PS4, you can use the previous log ins for your account. This will be transferred over to your PS5
PlayStation 5 - Creating child accounts

If you're set up as the family manager, you can create individual accounts for other members of the family. To do this, you'll need to log into your Playstation Network account online. You can do this on your laptop, phone or tablet.

Once logged in, go to your Account Management and then into Family Management. From there, you can select Add a Family Member and you have the option to Add a Child. By entering the family member's name and date of birth, a new account will be created for them.
Please Note: You can also add an adult family member, however, this requires adding in an email address for them instead
Playstation 5 - Parental controls

If you access your Account and go into Family Management, you can choose which Child Account you want to edit. Each Child Account can have their own specifications so you can set certain restrictions depending on age, maturity etc.

You'll be given a list of options to edit. This is entirely up to you and will be automatically put in place once set. The options include:

Setting play-time restrictions

Arranging spending limits

Setting age rating levels for media

Disabling online communication

Setting permissions on games and communication with other players.

Disabling Internet browsing and VR

You also have the option to set predetermined restrictions based on the age group. These include Child, Early Teens and Late Teens. Make sure you are satisfied with what is arranged and in place before accepting these options.
You can follow the step by step guide from Sony right here
PlayStation 5 - Protecting your settings

As an extra layer of protection you can also set up a passcode which will protect your parental controls from the rest of the family. To do this, you'll need to access your console Settings. Go into the Family and Parental Controls section and click on PS5 Console Restrictions.

Here you'll need to input the default passcode which, if not used before is 0000. From there, you have the option to change the passcode to something only you will know. Setting this up will make this a passcode for future access.

As well as this, you can also prevent a family member from creating a new account by selecting User Creation and Guest Login and then setting it to Not Allowed.
You can follow the step by step guide from Sony here
Fun for the whole family

Whilst it is key to ensure your new games console is fun for the whole family, it's also important to let members be aware of the risks associated with playing on a new games console. Explaining why parental controls and security measures may be needed is an important step forward in bringing online safety discussions to the household.

The good thing about parental controls is that they can be adjusted as time goes on. Having restrictions in place that are slowly lifted, allows family members to understand what responsibility is needed when gaming which in turn, adds to their growth and development.

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PlayStation 5 - Parental Controls and Security Settings

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In November PlayStation released their newest console, the PlayStation 5. This blog looks at some of the features that are available including parental controls and certain restrictions you can incorporate to keep young children safe when gaming. .

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Google and Parent Zone's digital drop-ins are the ideal way to engage parents in online safety and reinforce important messages during lockdown.

Delivered on YouTube and led by Parent Zone's experienced team, these sessions take a 360° look at a specific topic such as Cyberbullying or Sharing Carefully.

We'd love it if you shared any of the links below with the parents you work with - and keep your eyes peeled for more sessions covering new themes soon.

In the meantime, you can check out our previous sessions on Cyberbullying, Protecting Personal Info and Sharing Carefully.

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Digital drop-ins for parents from Google and Parent Zone - Parent Zone - Legendary Teacher hub

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Google and Parent Zone's digital drop-ins are the ideal way to engage parents in online safety and reinforce important messages during lockdown. Delivered on YouTube and led by Parent Zone's experienced team, these sessions take a 360° look at a specific topic such as Cyberbullying or Sharing Carefully.

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5 activities to build digital resilience

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5 activities to build digital resilience

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LGfL Tutors Safeguarding Parent Guidance

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Family Gaming Database - Guides, Ratings and Suggestions

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Database of video games for families to discover new things to play and exciting worlds to visit

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At Xbox, we believe that gaming is a source of joy, inspiration, and social connection with friends and family - and this is true now more than ever before. With COVID-19 continuing to have impact our daily lives, gaming has helped people stay connected while social distancing. Gaming is a great way to unify and bring people together, but we also believe that gaming should be part of a balanced life as well as safe and welcoming for all, and we know this is especially important to families.

Today, just in time for the new school year, we are launching the Xbox Family Settings app, which is available for free to download for iOS and Android. The app is an important next step in our journey to provide families with the tools they need to help create the right balance of gaming in their lives. Right from their phone, parents and caregivers can easily create child accounts, update screen time limits, respond to notifications, and much more. It's an easy and simple way to set guardrails on children's gaming on Xbox One and, come November 10, on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S!

The app has been in preview for the last few months, which has provided valuable customer feedback to help us to refine the experience that is available today. We are also thrilled to unveil three new app features that parents and caregivers can manage right from their fingertips:

Accept or decline friends your child wants to add

View and manage your child's friends list

Proactively grant your child more screen time - this was a common suggestion from our users during preview. Thank you for the feedback!

How to Use the Xbox Family Settings app
An important first step to using the app is to ensure that each child has their own child or teen account. And setting up a child account is quick and easy through the app and on average, takes just minutes.

Once a child account has been set up, parents and caregivers can customize access to gaming for each child:

Screen time limits - set limits for each day of the week; for example, you can allow for more game time on the weekends or reduce it during the school week. And a new feature available today allows parents to proactive grant additional screen time - a great option if they did well on a test or completed their homework!

Content filters - set filters based on the age of each child; for example, an 8-year-old can only access games that are rated E and will be blocked from accessing titles that are intended for more mature players

Play and communication settings - choose the option to block all access to play and communication with other players, limit access to "friends only" or grant permission for older children to play and chat with "everyone"

Friends list - new with the app is the ability to approve or decline friend requests your child has made to add friends; parents can also view their friends list

Activity reports - view daily and weekly activity reports for each child to understand how they are spending their time on Xbox

The app also includes a feature to easily enable access and multiplayer capability for Minecraft, which is rated E10+. Sometimes parents of younger children want to provide access to Minecraft and possibly enable online play with their friends, and a convenient toggle in the app unlocks those specific capabilities quickly. We received positive feedback on this feature from users and we may include similar functionality for other games in the future.

We know that one-size does not fit all and it's so important that as parents, you have the flexibility to decide and customize what the right access to gaming looks like for your child. With the app, you can also respond to notifications in real time, such as requests from your child to extend the console screen time limit for the day.
Looking Towards the Future
Parents and caregivers know best what content is right for their child. By bringing key family settings features right to your phone, we hope that families feel empowered to have important conversations about how to balance gaming with other responsibilities like school and time with friends. We will also release additional new features in the future for the Xbox Family Settings app to provide families with the tools and support they need for safer and fun for everyone.

Download the Xbox Family Settings app today for free for iOS and Android to jump in and easily manage gaming for your family!

For more information about the Xbox Family Settings app, visit Xbox.com/family-app.

Microsoft is committed to empowering families to set boundaries and encourage responsible technology use by offering choices on the tools that are right for each family's unique needs - learn more .

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Xbox Family Settings App Available Now on iOS and Android to Help Manage Children's Gaming - Xbox Wire

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At Xbox, we believe that gaming is a source of joy, inspiration, and social connection with friends and family - and this is true now more than ever before. With COVID-19 continuing to have impact our daily lives, gaming has helped people stay connected while social distancing.

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This database is a unique way to find games for children, teenagers and young adults. Every game is presented for parents and carers to understand, to empower informed choice through understanding

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Family Gaming Database - Guides, Ratings and Suggestions

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Database of video games for families to discover new things to play and exciting worlds to visit

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Little Reminders of How to Be Kind Online

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Little Reminders of How to Be Kind Online

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What Parents Need to Know About Online Grooming

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What Parents Need to Know About Online Grooming

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What Parents Need to Know About Instagram

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What Parents Need to Know About Instagram

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A guide on how not to be a screen zombie

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A guide on how not to be a screen zombie

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Despite the partial reopening of schools from the beginning of the month, there's a good chance that many children's device usage will have increased over lockdown. With the online world more accessible than ever and the ability to watch almost anything on-demand, it can be easy for children to check their phone, swipe their tablet or fire-up their games console during large parts of the day. That's why we've created this guide to help increase children's awareness around screen addiction.

Find out more

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A Guide on How Not to Be a Screen Zombie

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Despite the partial reopening of schools from the beginning of the month, there's a good chance that many children's device usage will have increased over lockdown. With the online world more accessible than ever and the ability to watch almost anything on-demand, it can be easy for children to check their phone, swipe their tablet or fire-up their games console during large parts of the day.

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As adults, speaking to your child about what they do and what they see online can often be more difficult than first imagined. As much as we know it exists, starting the conversation with children about inappropriate content or things that might make them feel uncomfortable can often feel like the hardest step. With children spending more time online due to lockdown, we've produced this guide to help parents and carers approach that initial discussion with a little more confidence.

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Conversation Starters for Parents and Carers: Online Content

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As adults, speaking to your child about what they do and what they see online can often be more difficult than first imagined. As much as we know it exists, starting the conversation with children about inappropriate content or things that might make them feel uncomfortable can often feel like the hardest step.

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By Craig Charles on
Okay we love quizzes so it's really a wonder why it has taken us so long to get one on this site, and you can expect a few more to follow soon.
So how much have you learnt following our site? And how much did you know about the crazy world of Internet nonsense already? Let's kick off our quiz themed posts with this 13 question head-scratcher. Which of the following images are real and which have been photoshopped?

Good luck!

How many did you get? Click share below to share this quiz and see if you can beat your friends.

Thanks for reading. Before you head off, if you fancy making a little money using the Internet in 2020 (without getting scammed!) we've teamed up with rewards website SwagBucks that lets you earn digital cash called swagbucks which can be exchanged for gift cards (e.g. for PayPal & Amazon) for doing things like playing games, doing surveys, answering polls & surfing the web. You can accumulate money throughout the year which could potentially pay for the annual Christmas shopping and beyond! Its all completely free, and we even have a sign-up code to get you started with a bonus 70 swagbucks, just for being our reader. Sign up with our link here and use " nonsense2020" as your sign-up code.

If you found our article useful and you do not already, make sure you stay on top of Internet nonsense like hoaxes, scams and fake news, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Want to support us? We thrive on coffee to write articles. Please consider buying us a coffee here.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

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The "Photoshopped or Not" Quiz - ThatsNonsense.com

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Okay we love quizzes so it's really a wonder why it has taken us so long to get one on this site, and you can expect a few more to follow soon. So how much have you learnt following our site? And how much did you know about the crazy world of Internet nonsense already?

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Parent Zone - online safety for children

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Parent Zone - online safety for children

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Be Internet Legends is a multifaceted curriculum

developed by Google and Parent Zone to teach

children the skills they need to be safe and confident

The programme is evolving to support schools, pupils

and families through new challenges and deliver

Find out more about our LIVE online assemblies,

parent sessions and assembly video.

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Be Internet Legends is a multifaceted curriculum developed by Google and Parent Zone to teach children the skills they need to be safe and confident The programme is evolving to support schools, pupils and families through new challenges and deliver Find out more about our LIVE online assemblies, parent sessions and assembly video.

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The Own It app comes with a special keyboard. This can be used like any other keyboard, but it also gives you helpful tips and friendly advice as you write!

Track how you feel and improve your wellbeing.

Packed full of gifs and emojis to help express yourself!

Lots of fun quizzes, videos and articles to enjoy.

Best of all, the Own It keyboard and app is personal to you. Everything you type is kept completely private, and never leaves the Own It app on your phone.

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The Own It app comes with a special keyboard. This can be used like any other keyboard, but it also gives you helpful tips and friendly advice as you write! Track how you feel and improve your wellbeing. Packed full of gifs and emojis to help express yourself!

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Video-chatting services have soared in popularity during the COVID-19 epidemic, and with good reason: they offer an easy way to keep in touch with friends, family and workmates.

From IMO, WeChat, and Houseparty to Zoom, Skype and FaceTime, there are many video-chatting apps and websites. All let you have a real-time conversation over the internet using a camera, and most cater for both large groups and one-on-one chats.

Primary-aged children might not previously have had much experience with these apps, but may well be using them now for education or to speak to their friends. ( Note: we also have a guide for the parents/carers of secondary-aged children.)

So what do parents and carers need to know about these services? Here's our guide to making sure that your child's video-chatting experience is safe and fun.

Video chatting can be positive for young children

Young children who are used to chatting, playing and learning with their friends in school are now having to stay indoors with their families. This can be difficult for them and many will be relying on phones, tablets, laptops and games consoles for entertainment and to stay in touch with their friends.

Talking to friends via video-chat can be an excellent way for them to stay cheerful and is good for social development.

Plus, with many video-chatting apps now offering filters, quizzes and games, they can be a great source of entertainment for young children.

Decide which apps are suitable for your child

All video apps and sites are different, so it's worth doing some research before deciding which one to set your children up on. It's probably worth talking to the parents of their friends, so you can jointly agree.

Some are better suited to older children or adults, some are designed more for remote working, and others offer features aimed specifically at younger kids.

Don't forget the security side of things. Have a look at the privacy settings - is there a recommended minimum age? Can you disable location settings?

Some apps can connect users to strangers through features such as a 'big chat', while others can connect you to friends of friends.

Be sure to explore appropriate apps together and always be on hand to supervise your child while they are video-chatting.

Talk to your child about how they should use these apps, and make agreements together. You could do a Thinkuknow #OnlineSafetyAtHome activity worksheet together, to help them explore some of the issues in an enjoyable way.

Always let your child know that they can talk to you or another adult they trust at any time - and that you'll never blame them for anything that happens to them online.

Be safety-conscious

Lots of children will only use video-chatting services for conversations with friends and family members, but some apps make it easy for them to speak with people they don't know - and it's possible, though rare, that they might come into contact with an adult who doesn't have their best interests at heart.

To help your child have safe online conversations with people they know, agree on some family boundaries, such as when and where they will use video-chat and who they can speak to.

Build your child's resilience

We know that people can behave differently online - adults and children alike. Young children feel that it's not 'real life' on video chats. They may feel pressure to impress their friends, to gain followers, or to copy other people.

Let your child know that it's never OK for people to say nasty things via video chat, nor to pressure anyone into doing something they don't want to do. Reassure your child that they can always say no and end the video and speak to you or another adult they trust.

Know how to get help if you need it

The vast majority of all video chats will be entirely safe and uneventful. Your child will probably spend most of them talking nonsense with their friends, like they do in the playground.

Very occasionally, though, you might need help dealing with a serious problem.

The video-chatting app's privacy settings will have information on how to block and report users who are not known to your child, so it's worth familiarising yourself with these pages.

Parent Zone offers guides to the key features of many popular apps and games, including the currently very popular Houseparty and . The NSPCC's Net Aware site does a similar job, while the National Cyber Security Centre recently published its guidance for using video conferencing services securely. It's well worth checking out for further information.

Remind your child that they can always speak to someone at Childline if something is worrying or upsetting them. Childline can be contacted via a call or online chat confidentially, about anything: 0800 1111 or www.childline.org.uk.

You or your child can also make a report to CEOP (www.ceop.police.uk). CEOP is a law enforcement agency that works to keep children and young people safe from sexual abuse and grooming online - and you or your child can make a report if you're worried about something that's happened when talking to someone online. This may include being asked to meet face-to-face or being pressured into doing something they feel uncomfortable with.

After making a report, you and/or your child will receive support from a specialist Child Protection Advisor.

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Video chatting: a guide for parents and carers of primary school-age children

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Younger children might not previously have had much experience with video-chatting apps, but during lockdown they may be using them for education or to speak to friends. Here's our guide to making sure they have a safe and fun experience with them

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Thinkuknow websites for advice about staying safe when you're on a phone, tablet or computer.

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Thinkuknow websites for advice about staying safe when you're on a phone, tablet or computer.

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The National Crime Agency's CEOP Education team aim to help protect children and young people from online child sexual abuse.

We do this through our education programme, providing training, resources and information to professionals working with children, young people and their families.

I am:

Respecting me, you, us: building healthy relationships and creating positive cultures is a CEOP Education resource for 12 -14 year olds developed in association with clinical psychologist, Dr. Elly Hanson.

Under 18 and worried about online sexual abuse?
To report, click to visit the CEOP Safety Centre.

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The CEOP Education programme from the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Education Team aims to protect children and young people aged 4-18 from online child sexual abuse.

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Your guide to social networks, apps and games

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Your guide to social networks, apps and games

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Helping parents keep their children safe online

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Helping parents keep their children safe online

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Information, Advice and Support to Keep Children Safe Online

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Working with online safety experts, we're here to guide you through the many issues children can experience when using the internet

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Welcome to the UK Safer Internet Centre, where you can find online safety tips, advice and resources to help children and young people stay safe online.

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Questions, answers and tools to help you make the most of your time online.

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Book of Phone Scams shared by the neighbourhood watch in conjunction with the Police.

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Book of Phone Scams shared by the neighbourhood watch in conjunction with the Police.

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Introduction

Raising children can suddenly make the world seem a frightening and dangerous place.

While you may have grown up wandering the streets or visiting friends or the mall without telling your parents where you were going, giving your own children that kind of freedom is unthinkable for many parents today.

In the age of smartphones, we're accustomed to knowing where our kids are at all times.

But while smartphones can help keep your children safe by keeping them in constant contact, that technology can also put them in danger online.

Children and teens today are more tech-savvy than ever, having grown up with the technology we've seen evolve so quickly over time.

But even when your kids have as much technical know-how as adults, they don't yet have the experience and discernment necessary to keep them safe online.

No parent can monitor their children round the clock, and it may be tempting to take the easy way out and block access entirely. But the internet is a valuable tool, more integral to our modern lives than ever, and necessary for children to learn to navigate safely.

While there are general guidelines to follow to keep your children safe online, many of them are common-sense and too general to help in many situations. And some of them are out of touch with modern technology.

Few children are using email much. Instead, they are using social media networks and smartphone apps for chatting and sharing multimedia online. Chances are your child is chatting with an app like Snapchat or Kick, or a social network like Ask.fm.

Keeping Kids Safe Online

In this section, we will give a general overview of the kinds of things you and do to keep your children safe, and things they can do themselves.

Guidelines for Parents

The FBI has published a useful guide that is well worth visiting and as you would expect from the US Department of Justice, it takes the protection of our children from online dangers very seriously indeed.

A fundamental issue that has to be addressed when talking about internet safety, is the fact that advances in computer and telecommunications technology not only offer the opportunity to access new sources of knowledge and widen their cultural experience, it also opens up the possibility of exposure to harmful material, exploitation, and even sexual predators, in some circumstances.

No parent would ever want their child to experience any of these traumatic and challenging scenario's, which is why it is critical for parents to understand the dangers and monitor their child's activity within reason, as well as spotting any behavioral changes in them that could indicate a problem.

Online Predators

You should never be immune to the fact that there are a small percentage of individuals who surf the internet with a view to making friends with a child and grooming them for sexual exploitation at a later date.

These predators are particularly adept at gradually lowering a child's inhibitions over a period of time and will often pretend to be someone that they are not. A middle-aged man with bad intentions could easily create a profile that is very different to reality in order to befriend a child, so you should be prepared as a parent to ask who they are talking to if you are unsure in any way and also look out for noticeable changes in their behavior.

Warning signs can include spending large amounts of time online, especially during evening hours and there may be some examples of pornography on your child's computer, which may have been introduced as a way of normalizing sex between adults and children.

If your child becomes withdrawn or shows any of the signs that you can find a list of in guides like the one compiled by the FBI, you should be prepared to talk openly with them about your suspicions and make them aware of the dangers they are facing.

If you do find evidence of inappropriate contact between an adult and your child or have any concerns at all, you should not hesitate to try and discuss the situation with your son or daughter and if necessary, contact your local law enforcement agency for further assistance.

Open communication is the key to avoiding major problems like sexual exploitation and cyberbullying from happening to your child, so use your parental instincts and act swiftly.

The National Safety Council also provides some useful tips for parents and there is also information and advice for parents via OnGuardOnline.Gov. All of these sites can help you provide the parental support and guidance that is necessary with such easy access to the internet within reach for most children.

Resources to Help Kids Stay Safe

Kids and the Web

We want to aim for our kids to be smart digital citizens, as the internet is such a fundamental part of modern life and commerce.

Education and entertainment are all easily accessible and the Attorney General's office has set up a national task force to help enforce school and campus safety for all children, so that kids can use the internet safely and not be exposed to issues like violence in schools and bullying.

Although dating violence is very much a physical problem and a very real concern, when you look at the statistics that show how worryingly common this phenomenon is, the internet can be used in a positive way to address this problem.

The results of a study carried out back in 2008 by LoveIsRespect.org, showed that 69% of teens who had sex by the age of 14, had suffered some type of abuse in a relationship and one in every five teenagers aged between 13 and 14 years, said they knew of friends or peers who had been struck in anger by a boyfriend or girlfriend.

As only 51% of tweens claimed to know the warning signs of a bad or hurtful relationship, this where you as a parent can fill that knowledge gap and use resources like LoveIsRespect to educate and address any problems with violence, especially during such crucial formative years.

Cyber Bullying

Bullying is not exactly a new phenomenon but it has taken on a new form with the invention of the internet.

Cyber Bullying is the use of different technologies such as cell phones and any device connected to the internet, to send or post images or text that is designed to hurt or embarrass another person. These acts of aggression can even take place via video game systems which are connected to the internet, so you will need to be vigilant as a parent to spot any signs of this happening to your child.

Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter as well as popular chat rooms and forums, are all mediums that are used by cyber bullies to attack their victims in a number of different hurtful ways.

The acts can be rumor spreading, disclosure of personal information and can even involve the bully impersonating the victim.

Cyber bullying can be carried out overtly or covertly. The removal of this face-to-face exchange which used to be a feature of a playground bully in the physical world seems to make some of the perpetrators act more boldly in the cyber world.

According to statistics compiled by NoBullying.com, it is estimated that 43% of teens were victims of cyberbullying in the US during 2010. This is an alarming statistic and shows the need for parents to monitor their child as best they can and maintain an open dialogue about the subject with them.

Here are some useful resources to refer to on the subject

Protecting Personal Information

Not every parent is aware that they have control over any personal information collected online about their child, if they are younger 13 years of age.

It is an important law that helps you get the opportunity to consent to data being held about your child if they under 13 and it also means that the website has a legal obligation to keep any information it collects secure.

It is worth taking the time to read about privacy laws when it comes to protecting your child online and there are also some useful tips to refer to that are designed to help keep sensitive data away from unauthorized access.

Here are some sites that can help parents get up to speed and learn more about protecting personal information:

Tips for Kids

You should not give out any personal information without first asking permission from your parents and anything that could easily identify you such as your last name and home address should be avoided.

Think about a sensible screen name for yourself that does not include any genuine personal information like your name or date of birth and always tell your parents before meeting an online friend, as not everyone is who they claim to be online.

Take a look at some of these sites for some more help on how to be smart when online:

Tips for Parents

The Family Online Safety Institute offers plenty of helpful advice on how to practice good digital parenting and their aim is to give parents the confidence to help their children navigate their way safely around the online world.

The range of issues and subjects that you need to address with your children about internet safety will vary according to their age and it is definitely part of modern-day parenting that you have a sound understanding of what is going on in the digital world.

Technology has the ability to help you become a better parent and develop a trusting and collaborative relationship with your child when it comes to how they use the internet. This can only be successfully achieved if you have a broad understanding and knowledge of the sites they might have access to and the content they are likely to encounter.

Take a look at some of these sites for further guidance and information and always remember that practicing internet safety is an important aspect of ensuring your child has a positive experience from using the internet in their lives.

Here are some sites that you may wish to look at in order to help you achieve this goal:

Illustrated Guides

Good Digital Parenting: useful article that provides parents with safety tips for online usage.

Internet Safety Tips (PDF): page that contains information on online safety issues for parents and kids.

The following sections cover the most popular online apps and websites that parents should understand.

Snapchat is one of the most popular smartphone messaging apps being used by kids today: about a third of all teens in the United States use Snapchat, sending millions of photos and videos every day.

With Snapchat, users can send their friends photos, videos, and screen captures, which are supposed to auto-destruct within a few seconds.

But the images can easily be undeleted or screen captured on another device, leaving a permanent record of whatever images your child chooses to share.

Kik Messenger is another popular app among teens and young adults. It allows you to message others without giving out your phone number, making it popular for users who want to retain their anonymity.

Just looking at the app reviews, it's clear that Kik is very popular for sending explicit messages. The app itself is rated 17+ in the app store for "Frequent/Intense Mature/Suggestive Themes," but that doesn't stop kids from downloading and using it.

Then there's Ask.fm, a question-and-answer social networking website which has received a lot of press surrounding bullying issues and related suicides around the world.

Users 13 and older are allowed, and there are no systems for monitoring content. Due to the lack of moderation and encouraged anonymity, the network has become a mecca for cyberbullying.

With all these new online dangers, even your own home can be a dangerous place for children.

By staying informed about the most popular websites and apps your children are likely to be using, you can learn how to talk to your child about using them safely.

You can also learn what specific steps you can take to make their experience safer while they have fun chatting online with friends and exploring the web.

Illustrated Guide to E-Safety

Children are using more technology at a younger age at a faster and faster rate. This provides a challenge to their parents who want them to be prepared for the modern world but also want to keep them safe.

In the following infographic, we provide a basic primer for parents caught in this situation.

It starts with the basic facts of the online playground: how many children are using what devices; what they are being used for; and so on.

Then it shows you the basics of making devices safe for your children. You don't need to be a defeatist and think your kids will get around anything you do. Remember: you are the adult and with a little effort, you can learn to use and control smartphones and tablets way better than your children.

Finally, it discusses 10 safety rules for allowing children online and provides resources to learn more.

It will start you on your way!

How to Protect Your Children on Snapchat

Snapchat is a hugely popular messaging app that allows users to send photos, videos, or screen captures to friends whose Snapchat usernames they know. Like a Mission: Impossible briefing, the messages self-destruct in just a few seconds.

In addition to images and videos, Snapchat added video chatting and text messaging features to their app, making it an all-in-one communications network for teens.

The service is most popular with teens and young adults. According to Snapshot's terms of service, you only have to be 13 years old and up to use their app.

But, as the saying goes, the internet is forever. Deleted messages on Snapchat can be recovered with a bit of technical knowledge, and those who know how to take a screenshot on their own smartphones can easily and permanently save any image that comes across their screens.

And while Snapchat maintains that the majority of messages are harmless, the service has gained a reputation for being used for sexting.

If your child is using Snapchat, don't panic: there are settings you can configure to protect your child's privacy and keep strangers from sending them inappropriate messages.

Check out the graphic below to discover how to keep your child safe while they use this popular app.

How to Protect Your Children on Kik

Kik is one of the most popular free modern messaging apps, with over 100 million users. Using Kik, you can send not just text messages, but photos and videos, surveys, and virtual stickers.

It's popular among those who want to chat without giving out their personal phone number, since you only need someone's Kik username to message them.

The fact that your children don't need to give out their actual phone number can give them a false sense of safety, but while it may seem safe to supply an anonymous online username, on Kik it can be anything but.

Kik has become very popular for sexting, which is why it's rated 17+ by the app store and Common Sense Media.

However, Kik's own terms of service states that it's for anyone 13 and up. But just by browsing the blatant app reviews seeking partners for explicit messaging, any parent can see that Kik is not an appropriate messaging app for children.

Does your child use Kik? Depending on their account privacy settings, they may be able to receive messages from any stranger online. Scroll down to find out what makes Kik so dangerous, and how you can keep your child safe from predators using this popular app.

How to Protect Your Child on Ask.fm

You know your child may be on the big giants of social media websites: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr. But there's another social networking site that's skyrocketing in popularity, especially among kids under 18: Ask.fm.

This popular social networking website allows you ask anonymous questions of any user, and answer others' questions on your own public profile.

If you have heard of Ask.fm, it's probably due to all the media attention it has received: Ask.fm was linked to a suicide case in Florida recently, where a young girl was anonymously bullied on Ask.fm.

British Prime Minister David Cameron called Ask.fm "vile" due to several similar cyberbullying cases, and schools in Britain have advised students not to use it.

The social network has become known as a haven for cyberbullies, and has been linked to suicides around the world. That's because its users, who are required to be at least 13 years old, are allowed to ask questions of specific users anonymously, and content is not monitored.

The official Ask.fm website states that they have "no liability to you for content that you may find objectionable, obscene or in poor taste."

Because of all the risks associated with Ask.fm, and its skyrocketing popularity among kids and teens, it's important to know how to find out if your child is using it and how they can keep safe. Here's how you can protect your child from dangerous cyberbullying on Ask.fm.

How to Protect Your Child on Badoo

If you are like most parents, you've never even heard of Badoo. And that's terrifying! What else might your children be using that you've never heard of?

The sad truth is: a lot. There are over a billion smartphone apps. The vast majority of them are perfectly benign or even helpful: music players and public transit planners. A relatively small number of apps will connect your kids to potentially dangerous social media sites.

But Bandoo is one of those social media sites. Frankly, it isn't a site your children should be on at all. It is primarily a dating site. And few parents will have any trouble imagining how such a site could lead to great harm to their children.

It's not that Badoo is a bad or nefarious website. It is just that it is for adults. Depending on your beliefs, it's perfectly fine for an adult to meet friends at a bar for a cold one. But it isn't for children.

The same applies to Badoo. And it is very clear about this: "If you are under the age of 18 then unfortunately you can't use Badoo yet because it's a meeting place for adults only."

But that doesn't mean your kids won't get around that. Remember On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog? That's not as true anymore, but its mostly true - especially for a determined and precocious child.

Luckily, this infographic will help you manage the situation and keep your children safe.

Facebook Safety 101

The following infographic is different than the ones that came before, because it isn't specifically about children. But you'll want to read it if you want to keep your kids safe.

You'll also want to read it even if you don't have any children. There are a lot of dangers on Facebook, and you need to know how to protect yourself.

The good news is that Facebook allows you to protect yourself from most things that are dangerous like identity theft and data harvesting.

The bad news is that Facebook is not set up by default to keep you and your children as safe as they could be.

But the best news is that this infographic goes through the most important things to keep yourself and all your loved ones safe.

There's no time to waste. If you're on Facebook, get started now!

32 Internet Acronyms and Slang Every Parent Should Know

Children and teens are often experts at keeping secrets from their parents, so you may not even realize that anything's wrong before it's too late.

It's important to have an open dialogue with your children, trust them with privacy to live their own lives, and grant them the space to learn and grow through experience.

But one of a parent's hardest tasks is balancing this with the need to keep your children safe and not make mistakes they can't recover from.

You can give your child the space and privacy they need while still keeping an eye on their internet activities for hints of dangerous behavior. One of the most effective ways to do so is by familiarizing yourself with current slang and acronyms.

While most of their slang is harmless, some of it can hint to dangerous behavior that could get your child into trouble or hurt. Check out the list below to see some of the latest internet slang and acronyms used by children and teens today.

Country Specific Information

Every country, province, and locality is different, even though the internet is global. We've put together a information for a few countries of special interest.

Canada

Canada is fairly typical of developed countries in terms of the threats its children face.

Snapchat

Snapchat is vying for the number one spot as probably the most popular smartphone messaging app that is in use by kids today.

According to GlobalWebIndex, 50% of 16-19-year-olds are using Snapchat on a monthly basis across the globe. Teen users in Canada are running a bit behind at about 40%.

This makes Snapchat more popular than WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

This high level of usage amongst young people equates to millions of photos and videos being sent and exchanged every day.

Smartphone Usage

The computer security company AVG Technologies carried out a survey amongst parents from various countries - including Canada.

It concluded that many children actually know how to use a smartphone before they can write.

An incredible 89% of kids who are aged between 6 and 9 are active online. Canada's youth are highly connected and are participating in online activities at a younger age than we have ever seen before.

Internet Access

MediaSmarts is a Canadian non-profit organization. They performed a comprehensive survey of internet access.

It revealed that an amazing 99% of all students have access to the internet outside of school. In addition, nearly 40% of them actually sleep with their cellphone with them.

It appears that smartphones are the most frequently used device for internet access. Roughly 35% of 9-16 year olds use this type of device to connect online.

The remainder use laptops and tablets to access the internet.

Online Profiles

About 90% of 15-16 year olds in Canada are understood to have a profile on a social networking site.

Additionally, an estimated 40% of 11-12 year olds do too. This is shocking, given the fact that there is actually an age restriction of 13 for most social networking sites (eg, Facebook).

Practical Dangers

It is a worrying thought that about half of older teenagers are likely to have seen sexual images online in the past 12 months.

And if global statistics are a reliable guide, some 35% of Canadian girls aged between 13 and 16 years of age have encountered some form of harmful content or hate messages.

Where Parents Fail

It is believed that over 80% of parents have arranged to install some security software on their children's laptops.

But less than 25% had arranged any similar protection for their child's smartphone.

Parents need to make sure they adopt the same line of thinking when it comes to cyber security and safety for their kids' smartphones as they have done for other devices.

Canadian Resources

Australia

Australia is a very connected country. And that makes the job of keeping their children safe all the harder.

Overview

It is interesting to note that one of the reasons why Microsoft chose Australia as the venue to launch its new range of tablets over other countries around the globe, is because the country already has more tablets per capita than almost anywhere else.

It is estimated that almost 30% of households access the internet via a tablet, and Australians also spend about an hour longer than their counterparts in the US and the UK. Mobile access through smartphones has also surged by some 20% in recent years, while the use of a desktop is in steady decline.

The relevance of these statistics, is the portability aspect of how many of us now access the internet. Almost gone are the days where the family would have a computer in a central point in the house, which was shared by different users and also much easier to control when trying to restrict access or content.

It is believed that about 35% of kids in Australia have their own mobile and children who are as young as 8 years of age can be seen carrying a smartphone these days.

The smartphone ownership figures for children have double since 2007 and by the time your child is a teenager, they will probably be amongst the 94% of 16 and 17- year olds who carry a mobile phone around with them.

Parental Guidance

It is believed that about 85% of parents have arranged to install some security software on their kid's laptops, but only about 22% had arranged any similar protection for their child's smartphone.

Parents need to use the same thinking when it comes to cyber security and safety for their kid's smartphones as they have done for other devices.

If you are going to give your child a smartphone, think carefully about the all the cyber safety implications.

Aim to establish a set of rules around your kids' use of the phone. That includes educating them about the dangers they face on the internet and through the various apps that they are using.

Australian Resources

Ireland

Like most advanced economies, Ireland is well connected. And that translates to its children as well.

Social Media

Snapchat is probably the most popular smartphone messaging app that is being used by kids today and according to GlobalWebIndex, 50% of 16-19-year-olds are using Snapchat on a monthly basis across the globe and teen users in Ireland are at about 40%, making it more popular than WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Another hugely popular app amongst teenagers and young adults in particular, is Kik Messenger. The unique appeal of this app is that it enables you to message anonymously.

Another app that has attracted some unwanted publicity is Ask.fm, which is a question-and-answer social networking site.

There have been a number of stories in the press about bullying issues and suicides linked to the use of the site, in various countries around the world.

How Young People Access the Internet

The European Commission funded a two-year research programme called Net Children Go Mobile, and Ireland was one of the participating countries in the survey, which spanned seven European destinations in total.

It seems that smartphones are the most frequently used device for internet access with about 35% of 9-16 year olds using this type of device to connect online, followed by 29% using laptops and 27% using tablets.

While over 60% of internet use is still actually based in the family home, about 46% of these children were accessing the web from their own bedroom, rather than in a supervised environment.

The relevance of these statistics is how many of our children are able to access internet data and communication outside of what you would consider to be normal parental supervision.

About 90% of 15-16-year-olds in Ireland have a profile on a social networking site and 40% of 11-12-year-olds also have a profile, despite the fact that there is actually an age restriction of 13 for most sites such as Facebook.

Smartphone usage

Another worrying statistic that came to light from the Net Children Go Mobile survey was that 47% of older teenagers had seen sexual images in the past 12 months and some 35% of girls aged between 13 and 16 years of age, had encountered some form of harmful content or hate messages.

In view of these findings, the sensible advice would be to consider giving any child under 13 years of age something more basic than a smartphone.

Irish Resources

New Zealand

New Zealand might be physically isolated, but it is as connected to the internet as well as any other advanced economy.

Social Media and Chatting

Snapchat is considered by many to be the leading smartphone messaging app and is being used by around 50% of 16-19-year-olds on a monthly basis across the globe, making it more popular than WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

The fact that the New Zealand Transport Agency used Snapchat recently to target drug users about the dangers of drug-driving, gives you a good idea of the level of reach that these popular apps now have within their under 25 community.

This high level of usage amongst young people also means that there are literally millions of photos and videos being sent and exchanged every day.

You need to have an open and positive discussion with your child about SnapChat and other things like Kik Messenger and Ask.fm.. They can be helpful in encouraging an acceptable level of independence and socialization, but they also need help to understand the potential dangers they are facing.

How Young People Access the Internet

It is estimated that over 70% of New Zealand children who are aged between 6 and 9 are active online and the country's youth are definitely more highly connected and are participating in online activities at a younger age than their predecessors.

According to statistics, 22% of the New Zealand population was connected to the internet in 2000 but by the time the last figures were collected in 2012, that figure had shot up to 86% penetration.

A very high percentage of students in New Zealand and around the globe, have access to the internet outside of school and it is estimated that nearly 40% of them actually sleep with their cellphone with them to stay in touch around the clock.

A figure believed to be around 80% of 15-16-year-olds in New Zealand are understood to have a profile on a social networking site.

An estimated 40% of 11-12-year-olds also have a profile. Most social networking sites like Facebook have an age restriction of 13, so this is surprising.

Smartphone Usage Exposes Them to Online Dangers

It appears that smartphones are now the most frequently used device for gaining internet access with about 35% of 9-16-year-olds using this type of device to connect online. and the majority of the remainder using laptops and tablets to access the internet rather than a desktop PC.

It is also a disturbing thought that roughly half of older teenagers are likely to have seen sexual images online in the past 12 months and if global statistics are to be believed, approximately 35% of New Zealand girls aged between 13 and 16 years of age, are likely to have encountered some form of harmful content or hate messages.

Anything that you are likely to do on a tablet can also be done on a smartphone as well, but despite this, there is a noticeable gap between the level of security software on laptops and tablets, compared to smartphones.

Over 80% of parents have sensibly arranged to install some kind of security software on their child's laptops, but less than 25% had arranged any similar protection for their child's smartphone.

We want to protect our children from harm and to provide them with guidance about so many different aspects of life as they grow and develop. With this in mind, make it your goal to keep up to speed with all the latest technology and learn what your kids are doing online, so you can have the best possible chance of keeping them safe.

New Zealander Resources

Thinking About Child-Friendly Computing

The internet is an amazing resource for learning about the world, interacting with other people, and having fun. Not only that, but using the internet for work and research has become an important part of modern life.

It makes sense, then, that parents would want to help their young children learn to use the internet.

But we all know that, like the real world, the internet is full unsavory, unsafe, and unhelpful things. From explicit sexual content to violent imagery, there is a lot available on the internet that children should not have access to.

Unfortunately, unlike in the "real world," on the internet this is all just a few mouse-clicks away.

As parents and educators we need to help shape the online experiences of the children under our care. But content filtering isn't the only thing we should worry about - it isn't enough just to make sure they don't accidentally see any porn (though that is certainly very important).

Goals for a Child-Friendly Internet Experience

There are several different objectives we should be pursuing. These can be divided into two categories - negative (things to censor, block, or filter) and positive (things to encourage or promote).

Getting Over Our Technology Hangups

Parents say a lot of funny things about their children when it comes to technology:

Behind these is a question - a fear - sometimes spoken outloud and sometimes not:

"How can I protect my children online? They're smarter than me! They can get around any blocks or filters I put on them. Why bother? What can I do?

This defeatist attitude is not just unhelpful, it is dangerous. Thankfully, it is also built on faulty assumptions.

Kids Aren't Actually Smarter About Technology

There are, of course, exceptions - some kids are brilliant, and some of those brilliant kids get interested in computers. But most of our children are not going to grow up to be Computer Scientists and programmers.

Just because a child is more fluent in using technology, doesn't mean that child has a deep understanding of how that technology works.

Think about the things you use every single day - your car, your refrigerator, the locks on your front door. Do you really know how this stuff works? Could you fix it if it broke?

Practically Unbeatable Security Is Possible

"Negative" Goals

Censor objectionable content (primarily sex and violence)

Protect kids from adult predators

Protect them from peer bullying

Stop them from spending money (in-app purchases)

Stop children from compromising computer security.

"Positive" Goals

Promote learning

Encourage healthy online relationships

Help kids become familiar and fluent with technology.

Even if your children are really good with computers - unless they are exceptionally bright and particularly knowledgeable - it is in fact possible to set up a safe computing environment that your children cannot bypass (at least not without you knowing).

Getting Over Our Parenting Hangups

Even once we figure out how to deal with the technology, many parents still feel at a loss when it comes to protecting their children online. Many feel hopeless, assuming that access to harmful content is inevitable. This, also is wrong.

"My kid knows technology better than I do."

"I had to ask my seven-year-old how to use the internet."

"Kids today are so smart about computers. They're on them all the time."

It Does Matter, Even If They See It at a Friend's House, But...

So you go through all the trouble, and your kid still watches dirty movies at a friends house. Or plays violent video games. Or talks to strangers. Or whatever.

It is still worth it.

For one thing, the example you set about what is and is not appropriate is hugely important - more important, maybe, than anything else.

Secondly, visiting bad content from time to time is much less damaging than inviting it into your home, where it can become a habit or even an addiction.

We all do unhealthy things on occasion - whether its eating bad foods, drinking too much, or any number of other things. What is dangerous is the normalization of those behaviors.

You probably cannot stop your kid from engaging in unhealthy behavior. You can keep it from becoming a normal part of everyday life.

Promoting good and safe computer use is not as hard as you may think. We'll discuss the main things you need to do here.

Setting up a Safe Computing Environment

Most people want a single app they can install - a child friendly browser or content filtering program that will make their computer safe. That is not enough.

If you want to actually stop your children from easily circumventing any parental controls you put on your computer, you are going to have to block them from having administrative access.

All computer systems today (Windows, Mac, and Linux) have the ability to set up separate Users. You should set up a special User login to your computer for your children to use, and password-protect the Administrator login. (And don't write the password down. The kids will find it.)

This lets you block your children from installing new applications that you didn't approve - applications they could use to circumvent parental controls and content filters.

(Be sure that when you create a new user, you do not give that user Administrative permissions.)

Child Friendly Internet Browsing

In this sections we will cover special browsers made for children, popular plugins for browsers, content filtering tools, as well as browsers for special-needs children.

Child Friendly Browsers

For younger kids (under 8), you may want to use a special browser that provides a fun, cartoon-like interface and access to age-appropriate games and education content.

These can be helpful, but be careful - just because something is labeled "educational" doesn't mean it is good for your kids. If you wouldn't let your children watch cartoons on TV all day long, you shouldn't let them play on the computer all day either.

At some point kids really need to transition to grown-up browsers like Chrome or Firefox. A 10 year old doesn't need the computer to look like a cartoon, and a 12 year old certainly doesn't want it to.

As they become preteens and early teenagers is when they start to need a real computer experience, but it's also when they actively start seeking out all the things you are trying to protect them from.

Some of the more popular options for online content filtering are:

Browser Plugins:

Considering Special Needs

Many children have special needs which can impair their ability to engage in a productive online experience. Thankfully, there are many tools available to make the internet a more welcoming place.

Positive Reading and Resources

Ultimately, the internet is a good thing for your children. You need to keep them safe, of course. But the internet can enrich your children's lives in ways that were never possible before.
Content Filtering and Monitoring
That's why we have created guides, tutorials, and infographics related to helping children use and have more fun with computers and the internet. Here are a few:

Fun Ways Kids Can Learn to Code

Your child doesn't need to want to become a professional programmer to gain great skills and have a good time learning to program. That's why we created the infographic Fun Ways Kids Can Learn to Code. There are special languages just for children to learn the concepts. And who knows? Maybe they will grow up to be a tech billionaire.

WebFilter: plugin for Chrome and Firefox.

FoxFilter: browser plugin for Firefox. Personal content filter that blocks inappropriate content.

Open Dyslexic: a plugin for Chrome that displays page content using a font designed to be readable by people with dyslexia.

Dyslite: a similar, but premium, cross-browser plugin with more font options.

WebbIE: a browser for the blind and visually-impaired, designed to work well with screen readers and text-to-speech software.

Educational Websites for Kids: over 40 educational and fun websites for kids on math, science, reading, writing, and history. Many are very appealing to adults too!

Graphic Design for Kids: in the online world, knowing graphic design is as valuable as knowing how to program. Plus, these resources will teach your children other skills in a fun and engaging way.

Using Minecraft in Education: find out how this game can be used to teach children various skills.

Main text written by WhoIsHostingThis.com Team with extra content by KeriLynn Engel. Compiled and edited by Frank Moraes.

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eSafety: How to Keep Kids Safe Online - WhoIsHostingThis.com

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The internet has brought new dangers for our children. This thorough guide shows parents how to keep their kids safe, whether on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. It also includes 7 infographics about particular threats as well as special discussions of the countries Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.

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Google Families

Helping families navigate tech

Parenting today involves raising the first generation of kids growing up with technology all around them - at school, at home, and in their pockets. As you chart the path that feels right for your family, we're here to help.

FAMILY LINK

Set up parental controls

Family Link helps you manage your child's account and devices as they explore online. Set screen time limits, manage the content your child can see, and know their location when they have their device with them.

Family-Friendly Experiences

Explore features designed for families

We build special features - like smart filters, site blockers, and content ratings - into many of our products across the Play Store, Assistant, YouTube, and more to make them more enjoyable for your family.

Be Internet Awesome teaches kids to navigate the internet by learning the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety. The program was developed by Google in partnership with iKeepSafe and The Net Safety Collaborative to enable families and educators to learn to be safer online at home and in the classroom.

Help your family be safe and smart online

Families can practice online safety together using Be Internet Awesome's resources for the home. Families can dive into conversations and activities with the Family Guide, quick tips, and offline activities, and also play their way through Interland.

Play your way to Internet Awesome

Kids can play their way to being Internet Awesome with Interland, a web game adventure that puts the key lessons of online safety into hands-on practice with four challenging games.

Teach students to be responsible digital citizens

The Be Internet Awesome program consists of multiple free of charge resources for the classroom: a curriculum that gives educators the tools and methods they need to teach digital safety fundamentals; ready-to-teach slides; printable activity sheets; Interland; and more.

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Online Safety for Children & Families - Google Safety Center

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Children today are growing up with technology. Google is working with parents and educators to help families find balance and safety online.

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Tips, advice, guides and resources to help keep your child safe online

As a parent or carer you play a key role in helping your child to stay safe online.

You don't need to be an expert on the internet to help keep your child stay safe online. Our advice and resources are here to support you as you support your child to use the internet safely, responsibility and positively.

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Tips, advice, guides and resources to help keep your child safe online As a parent or carer you play a key role in helping your child to stay safe online. You don't need to be an expert on the i

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The internet is an amazing place. Kids can play, learn, create and connect - the possibilities are endless. But there are also risks. That's why we're here to help you, as parents, make it easy for your kids to confidently explore this world safely, and navigate away from any dangers.

Bringing together O2's tech know-how and the NSPCC's expertise in protecting children, we've got everything you need to help you keep your kids safe online, whether you're an online expert or you're not sure where to start.

We provide free, practical info from our Gurus in store or over the phone, interactive parent workshops, as well as Net Aware, your guide to the latest social networks, apps and games your kids use. We are providing support to help parents and their kids have regular conversations to help them stay safe online.

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O2 | Help | NSPCC | Internet Safety for Kids - O2

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The internet is an amazing place. Kids can play, learn, create and connect - the possibilities are endless. But there are also risks. That's why we're here to help you, as parents, make it easy for your kids to confidently explore this world safely, and navigate away from any dangers.

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Since 1998, NCMEC has operated the CyberTipline, a place where the public and electronic service providers can report suspected online and offline child sexual exploitation. The millions of reports made each year uniquely situate NCMEC to identify trends and create prevention resources to address the evolving needs of kids and teens online.

NetSmartz is NCMEC's online safety education program. It provides age-appropriate videos and activities to help teach children be safer online with the goal of helping children to become more aware of potential online risks and empowering them to help prevent victimization by making safer choices on- and offline.

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Since 1998, NCMEC has operated the CyberTipline, a place where the public and electronic service providers can report suspected online and offline child sexual exploitation. The millions of reports made each year uniquely situate NCMEC to identify trends and create prevention resources to address the evolving needs of kids and teens online.

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What we do

Help & advice

Helpful information and guidance on a range of key online safety topics.

The Childnet Film Competition 2024 is open!

Do you know any young people aged 7-18 who are passionate about film? Can they tell a good story, create animation or inspire positive change? Would they like to make a short film about online safety?
Then enter the competition now!

Download brand new interactive resource ReelLife!

An interactive resource to help young people aged 9-14 identify the potential risks of social media.
Check out the resource...

Try out the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme today!

A youth leadership training programme empowering young people to educate their peers about online safety.
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Blog

The latest advice and guidance on key online safety issues, as well as information on the latest apps and games.

Free resources to help you teach about online safety.

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Childnet - Online safety for young people

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Helping make the internet a great and safe place for children and young people.

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The Association of Adult and Children Online Safety Specialists

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The Association of Adult and Children Online Safety Specialists

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With children being home all day every day it's likely they're spending much more time online. Because of this, many organizations are sending out information and guidance which is all well intentioned but it can become overwhelming and confusing which could lead to stress in some people.

As an association of online safety specialists we have combined experience of well over 100 years in this area, so in this video we want to cut through a lot of the noise and confusion to simplify the key messages and then to signpost you to main the organizations below this video that will help to answer any questions you have.

It's worth stating before we start that any and advice and guidance needs to take into consideration the age of your child. For example younger children will need much more parental oversight than older children such as older teenagers. But also the cognitive ability and particular needs of your child must also be a key consideration.

In these difficult times children need to be in contact with their friends and family, as do we all, and many will be doing that online. But they'll also be doing lots of other things as well such as simply having fun and even learning new skills. So with that said here are so key points for you to consider:

Vigilance - firstly don't panic, the basic online safety messages have not changed just because children are at home for longer, however it's strongly advised that you're more vigilant regarding what they are doing online. It is an unfortunate fact that offending rates against children will increase - remember one of the most important child protection messages - offenders will be where the children are. That may sound like an overly-scary message - but it's true in real life and even more so online. In addition, criminal scams like identity theft are likely to increase considerably across all the services that you and your children use, so vigilance applies to all of us, not just children.

Content, contact, conduct and commercialism - regardless of the game, app or activity, the 4 C's give you a head start to open up a conversation with your child, investigate if something doesn't feel right or questions to consider if your child is asking you for a new game or app:

Content - is the content appropriate for the age of your child? What can they see? Is there a content filter available? Is there an age restriction? One of the main content concerns would be adult or pornographic content and you could use an app such as 'Age Block' to help with this. However content is a subjective area that is mainly determined by age and additional needs meaning what is appropriate or inappropriate needs to be decided by you.

Contact - who are they talking to? Are you happy with them talking to others online? Can you turn chat off? Are there privacy settings available? Do your children know what to do if they are contacted by somebody they don't know or if they feel uncomfortable about something that has been said?

Conduct - is all about the behaviour of your child. If you allow them to play that game or use that app, how will they behave?

Commercialism - as with the other 3 C's commercialism is a big subject area but consider things such as in app and in game purchases, apps that harvest personal information to commercialise it and criminals that harvest personal and private information for things like identity theft.

Safe or unsafe - there's no such thing as a safe or unsafe app or game if there's a means of communication, it's all about behaviour: the behaviour of your child or the behaviour of others towards your child. Remember content, contact and conduct and remember that offenders will likely be where the children are.

Socialisation - whether it is games or social media apps, for most children their friends are the most important aspect. Ask your child why they play games online - is it because of the game or because they're playing with their friends? Most children say that the game is important, but most important of all is the friends they are playing with - socialisation. That brings us naturally onto screentime which I'll mention in just a minute - it's vital that there's a sense of normality for children, and that means maintaining contact with their friends whether that's through apps or their games.

Screentime - the word 'screentime' is an over-simplified, unhelpful word to use, suggesting that time is THE major factor. Screen 'use' is far more helpful - in other words - what are they doing? As with anything there needs to be a balance between virtual and physical, however that will differ from child to child and family to family. Children are going to be spending much more time online for a variety of reasons and if you would like to watch a short video from one of the leading researchers in this area to get his thoughts on screentime I've put a link below this video.

Gaming
The majority of children will play games online, more so during the pandemic due to the time they have available so there are some important points to consider:

All games have age restrictions, mainly due to the content such as sexual content, violence, drugs etc. Check the game is appropriate for your child. Spend a little time and play games with your children. This is a great way to find out whether the content is appropriate, what privacy features are available, if your child knows how to report someone and so much more.

In-app purchases. Many games allow for items such as skins and loot boxes to be purchased. On many devices, in-game purchases can be turned off. It is not recommended that you store credit card details on devices that children use firstly because the temptation is there to buy new things but also there are some pretty devious tactics in some games and apps to get children to buy things.

In-game chat can be turned on/off on many devices and within the games themselves. If you're happy with your children chatting within their games, get to know who they are chatting with. Children will mainly use gamer tags, in other words nicknames, and you'll quickly get to recognise who these other people are.

Internet Matters have a wonderful gaming hub where parents can learn much more about the games children are playing, the risks and how to mitigate those risks, as well as tips on how to set up the various devices your children use so that you can turn off things like chat, prevent downloading age-restricted games and much more. There's a link to Internet Matters below this video and there's also a link to Common Sense Media which is a great site to learn more and get opinions on particular games from other parents.
YouTube
This is probably the most popular activity of all. With over 500 hours of video content uploaded every 60 seconds, the sheer amount is staggering.

Get to know the content that your child watches. What channels are they subscribed to? What do they search for? What types of videos show up in the 'Recommended Videos' list?

Does your child upload video content? Do you know?

Is 'Restricted Mode' applied? Restricted Mode is a content filter which mainly uses algorithms and self-reporting to determine if a video has content appropriate to persons under the age of 18. As with any filter you can't completely rely on this, however it is recommended that it is applied onto the devices your child is using.

YouTube Kids is an app and website with content and channels much more suitable for younger children and has much better parental controls than the main YouTube site or app.

And finally on this part there's a few features in YouTube that will help you moderate content and I've put a link to that video below.
Social Media
This is the activity that has the greatest concerns in terms of risk and where the advice of content, contact and conduct really comes into its own.

All apps have age restrictions but very few have any effective age verification processes, allowing younger children to easily circumvent the restrictions.

Some children will put in a random date of birth (or year of birth) as part of the weak age verification process. If this DOB makes them over the age of 18 they may be subjected to adult content - check.

All social media apps have privacy settings, however these are always turned off by default - check privacy settings are turned on. Again that advice depends on the age of your child and what they're using the app for.

Live streaming is becoming much more popular and therefore an increasing concern in particular regards to child exploitation. Parents must be extra vigilant if they are allowing their child to go live. To learn more about live streaming there's a couple of links below and I would strongly advise you to check these out as the concerns are getting bigger and bigger. Remember that all apps have age restrictions and you need to check these first before anything else.

Finally, check the apps that your children are using. If there are any that you aren't aware of refer to the reviews on Common Sense Media or the NSPCC Net Aware sites and familiarise yourself with any age requirements and settings and I've put the links for those sites below this video.
Home Learning
It's possible that your child is getting some work from school to tide them over until we return to some sort of normality, but it's also possible that you have been approached by someone or you're looking for someone to give some additional help. Be careful here and be sure you've carried out the right checks, these would include things like is the person from a reputable organization, can they prove that, do they have a current DBS certificate, do they have a safeguarding and child protection policy, how are they going to deliver education and has data protection and safeguarding been taken into account? You need to carry out due diligence and satisfy yourself that everything is in order.
Summary
Just to re-iterate what I said at the beginning, the intention of this video isn't to go into any great detail as this video would be hours long, but to give you some very basic principles and to signpost you with the links below to the organizations that will have many of the answers to your questions. Do be vigilant, but you can only be vigilant by keeping yourself up to date and learning about online safety.

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Online Safety Support - Parents - AACOSS

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With children being home all day every day it's likely they're spending much more time online. Because of this, many organizations are sending out information and guidance which is all well intentioned but it can become overwhelming and confusing which could lead to stress in some people.