Internet Safety for Kids: Tips and Parental Controls

Internet Safety for Kids

Keeping our children safe from the dangers of the Internet may seem like fighting a losing battle. But sticking with a few basic guidelines and teaching your kids about safe surfing will help tremendously.

In today's digital age, ensuring your children's safety online is paramount. With the vast array of content and potential risks on the internet, it's crucial to establish clear guidelines and communication channels. Educating your children about online dangers, from cyberbullying to inappropriate content, equips them with the knowledge to navigate the digital landscape responsibly. Implementing parental controls and monitoring their online activity can provide an additional layer of protection. Encouraging open dialogue and fostering trust empowers children to seek help when they encounter anything unsettling online. By staying vigilant and actively engaged in their online experiences, parents can create a safer digital environment for their children to explore and thrive

Surf the Web Safely

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Online Privacy and Security

Internet Safety Checklist for Kids and Parents

• • Keep accounts private when appropriate and review who can message, follow, tag, or contact the child.
• • Use a unique password for every important account and enable multi-factor authentication or a passkey when available.
• • Do not publicly share a home address, school, phone number, passwords, verification codes, live location, or travel plans.
• • Do not use unexpected links, downloads, QR codes, or login pages without checking them with a trusted adult.
• • Review app permissions, especially access to location, camera, microphone, contacts, photos, and nearby devices.
• • Limit friend and follow requests to people the child genuinely knows and review gaming or social-media chat controls.
• • Tell a trusted adult about threats, sexual requests, bullying, scams, blackmail, or any interaction that feels unsafe.
• • Never arrange an in-person meeting with someone known only online without a parent or trusted adult being involved.
• • Keep phones, tablets, computers, browsers, games, and apps updated.

Educate Yourself

The Internet is the greatest resource of information. Both good and bad. Knowing what the Internet can offer, what mistakes you should avoid, and what your children may get their hands on, will put you in a more comfortable position to be able to advise them. Special classes might be available in your region, or you can take online courses, which can educate you about the Internet and provide some guidance on how to make sure your children are safe
Also see: Keeping Your Kids Safe Online With Parental Controls.

Communication is Key

The goal is to help children use the Internet safely while knowing they can ask for help when something goes wrong. Talk regularly about the websites, games, messaging apps, and social platforms they use. Teach children that usernames, profile photos, and claims about age do not prove who someone really is. They should never share passwords, verification codes, home or school details, live location, or other sensitive personal information with an online contact.

Children should not arrange an in-person meeting with someone they know only online. If an online contact asks for secrecy, sexual images, money, gift cards, account credentials, or a private meeting, the child should stop and tell a trusted adult. Make it clear that asking for help will not automatically result in losing device access; children are more likely to report problems when they know the first response will be calm and supportive.

Being Vigilant

It may be a good idea to place your children's computers in the main living area to keep an eye on their web activity. This can be particularly important for younger kids and can help you educate your kids further. Monitoring how your kids use those mobile phones is much more difficult.

Teach Kids to Recognize Online Threats

Children should be taught how to identify common online dangers such as phishing attempts, fake profiles, and suspicious links. Encourage them to question unfamiliar messages, avoid sharing personal details, and always verify sources before clicking. Building awareness early helps children develop critical thinking skills that reduce the risk of scams, cyberbullying, and identity theft.

Kids and Social Media Safely

Social-media risks depend on the platform, the child’s age, account settings, contacts, and what is shared. Review settings together instead of assuming the defaults are appropriate. Platform features change, so repeat these checks periodically.

Setting Digital Boundaries at Home

Creating clear rules around screen time, device usage, and online behavior helps maintain a safe and balanced digital environment. Parents can establish device-free zones, monitor app usage, and use parental control tools to guide safe browsing. Consistent boundaries not only protect children online but also promote healthier habits and responsible technology use.

Use Available Applications

There are apps specifically designed for parental control that can help keep your children safe on the Internet. As they get older, they will learn how to bypass parental control software. But this can still be helpful to stop younger children from unintentionally stumbling across inappropriate Websites. And for those rare species of kids that actually listen to their parents.
See below for a list of some of the Best Parental Control Applications

Protect Your Mobile Devices

Many of the same precautions you take with your PC or Laptops should be taken with mobile phones, tablets, and other devices that could contain sensitive information. Encourage your teen to use password protection and enable the device locator function on all your devices. It is also not a good idea for apps in general to use location services, since these may reveal where they live, go to school, even where the kids hang out after school.

Most devices will allow you to select what apps can show your location. Sit down with your kids and look at their phone or tablet's location setting. An example might be a picture of their birthday party on Instagram, that will not post your home address.

Understand What a VPN Can and Cannot Do

A VPN can encrypt traffic between a device and the VPN provider and can change the public IP address seen by many online destinations. This can be useful on untrusted networks, but a VPN does not protect a child from phishing, cyberbullying, online predators, unsafe downloads, oversharing, malicious websites, or account compromise. For children’s online safety, privacy settings, parental controls, account security, software updates, reporting tools, and open communication remain essential.
See our review on NordVPN

Search Engine Filters

Most of us do not even know about this feature. But do make sure that the Search Engine your kids use has a search filtering option enabled
Instead of going straight to the Search Engines, use the below links that has the "Safe Settings" enabled by default

Google Safe Search Go to Settings > Privacy & Safety.
Microsoft Bing Safe Search Go to Account > Search settings
Yahoo Safe Search Go to Preferences

Or try some of these search engines
DuckDuckGo: A popular privacy-focused engine that doesn't track, store search history, or use user profiles.
Swisscows: A family-friendly, Swiss-based search engine that blocks explicit content by default.
Qwant: A European engine that does not collect personal data and separates search from advertising.
Brave Search: Built into the Brave browser, offering independent search results with strong privacy protections.
Startpage: Offers results from Google but keeps user data anonymous and private.
Ecosia: Uses ad revenue to plant trees, with strict policies against storing search data.
MetaGer: A German non-profit metasearch engine that protects user anonymity.

Parental Controls: Start With the Controls You Already Have

Before installing additional monitoring software, review the controls built into the child’s phone, tablet, computer, game console, browser, search service, and home network. Built-in controls can often manage purchases, apps, screen time, web content, privacy, and communication without giving another company access to extensive family data.

Technical controls work best when children understand the reason for the rules. Adjust supervision as children mature and demonstrate responsibility rather than treating monitoring software as a complete substitute for communication.

Internet Safety Websites

The following websites are some of the best resources that parents and teachers can use to introduce kids to Internet safety.

Internet Safety for Kids

Threats to your child's internet safety include harassment, invasions of privacy, cyberbullying, sexting. The most effective way to keep your kids safe is just to talk with them about online risks, how to avoid them and how they can come to you when something goes wrong.

Internet Safety 101

Age-Based Guidelines Internet Safety 101, is an initiative of Enough Is Enough, a 501c(3) whose mission is to make the Internet Safer for Children and Families.

YouTube - Teens and Online Safety

Explore the Council for Digital Good playlist. Announcing that selections have been made for Microsoft’s 2021 Council for Digital Good. We look forward to engaging with this new group of teens from across the U.S., as we jointly explore ways to promote safer, healthier and more respectful online interactions.

How to Keep Your Children Safe

Internet safety for kids depends on parents being aware of online risks and understanding how to help their children and teens avoid them. Almost every American child and teen has access to the Internet. They socialize in online games or on smartphones just as they would on a playground.

Justice.gov

Discuss Internet safety and develop an online safety plan with children before they engage in online activity. Establish clear guidelines, teach children to spot red flags, and encourage children to have open communication with you. Supervise young children's use of the Internet, including periodically checking their profiles and posts.

Online Safety for Youth

Keeping Children Safe Online Due to COVID-19, kids and adults are online more than ever, often unsupervised in the same space. This Department of Justice webpage provides information, tips, videos, and more to help kids stay safe. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

SafeWise

State-by-State Online Safety Laws. Teach kids how to navigate the Internet - Talk about proper online etiquette, how to enter safe search terms, how to identify a secure website (HTTPS), and when to ask an adult for help. Let kids know what to watch.

20 Internet safety tips and checklist

Playing it safe online can help prevent you and your kids from being exposed to unwanted information, materials, or risks on the Internet that might harm your devices, personal information, or your family. It's smart to teach children computer safety so that they do not fall victim to some common dangers of the Internet.

StaySafe.org

Top 10 Internet Safety Rules For Your Kids. Along with cyberbullying, one of the greatest risks for children online is, sadly, pedophiles that use the Internet with the aim of meeting up with your child.

Consumer Reports.org

According to Collier, effective online parenting begins with a set of age-appropriate safety rules that should be non-negotiable for children and young teens.

How To Teach Internet Safety To Elementary Students

With children spending time online at younger and younger ages, it’s vital that we explicitly teach young children how to protect themselves online. Most young children get the “stranger danger” talk at school, so they know about how to handle strangers in their neighborhood and in face-to-face situations.

KidsHealth

Internet Safety and Federal laws. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) helps protect kids younger than 13 when they're online. It is designed to keep anyone from getting a child's personal information without a parent knowing about it and agreeing to it first.

Choosing Parental Control and Monitoring Tools

Choose parental controls according to the child’s age, maturity, devices, and the specific risk you need to address. Start with built-in family controls when they meet your needs. If you add third-party software, review what information it collects, where that information is stored, which permissions it requires, how accounts are secured, whether it can be removed or bypassed, and how the provider handles family data.

Age and Stage Online Safety Guide

What to Do When Something Goes Wrong

• • Scam or phishing: Stop interacting, do not send money or credentials, preserve useful evidence, verify the service independently, and secure any affected accounts.
• • Cyberbullying: Do not retaliate. Save relevant messages or screenshots, block and report the account, review privacy settings, and involve a trusted adult or school when appropriate.
• • Unsafe or unknown contact: Stop communication, do not arrange a meeting, preserve relevant messages, block and report the account, and tell a trusted adult.
• • Hacked account: Change the password, sign out other sessions, review recovery settings and connected apps, enable stronger authentication, and check recent activity.
• • Sexual requests, exploitation, or sextortion: Do not send more images, money, gift cards, or account access. Preserve the profile and messages, stop contact, tell a trusted adult immediately, use the platform’s reporting tools, and contact appropriate law enforcement or child-protection resources when a child is being exploited or threatened.

Best Practices

• • Keep communication open. Make sure children know they can report mistakes, uncomfortable conversations, scams, threats, or inappropriate content without assuming they will automatically lose device access.
• • Use age-appropriate supervision. Younger children generally need closer oversight; gradually adjust restrictions and independence as children mature and demonstrate responsible behavior.
• • Review privacy settings together. Check who can view profiles, send messages, comment, tag, follow, or see location information.
• • Protect every important account. Use unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication or passkeys when available. Keep recovery information current and private.
• • Limit unnecessary location sharing. Review camera, social-media, game, map, and app permissions so children are not unintentionally broadcasting where they live, study, or spend time.
• • Teach children to verify unexpected requests. Prize messages, urgent account warnings, free game currency, QR codes, and requests for passwords or verification codes should be treated cautiously.
• • Review gaming and chat features. Limit communication to appropriate contacts, protect payment methods, and teach children how to mute, block, and report users.
• • Keep devices and apps updated. Install security and software updates and remove apps or browser extensions that are no longer needed.
• • Use parental controls as one layer. Filtering and monitoring can reduce exposure, but no tool can identify every scam, harmful conversation, or inappropriate situation.
• • Have a response plan. Children should know which trusted adult to contact and parents should know how to preserve evidence, secure an account, block/report a user, and seek professional or law-enforcement help when necessary.

Summary

In our modern digital era, safeguarding our children's online experiences is paramount. It involves educating them about potential online risks such as cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and online predators, while also setting clear guidelines and boundaries. Implementing parental controls and monitoring tools can help mitigate risks, but fostering open communication and trust with our children is equally essential. By staying informed, engaged, and proactive in guiding our children's online activities, we can create a safer and more secure digital environment for them to explore, learn, and connect with others responsibly.

Frequently Asked Questions

At what age should parents begin teaching children about internet safety?

Internet safety lessons should begin as soon as a child starts using connected devices, even when an adult is present. Start with simple rules about asking permission, protecting personal information, and telling a trusted adult when something feels wrong. As children mature, expand the conversation to include social media privacy, scams, cyberbullying, online predators, and safe web browsing habits.

Are free parental controls enough to keep children safe online?

Free parental controls can provide useful website filtering, app restrictions, purchase approvals, location controls, and screen-time limits. However, no parental control software can recognize every harmful message, scam, or inappropriate interaction. Parents should combine technical safeguards with age-appropriate rules, regular privacy reviews, device updates, and open conversations that encourage children to report uncomfortable online experiences without fearing immediate punishment.

How much do parental control apps usually cost?

Costs vary by provider, supported devices, and included features. Some operating systems and internet providers include basic controls at no additional charge, while paid services may require monthly or annual subscriptions for advanced filtering, activity reports, location alerts, or multi-device management. Compare compatibility, privacy practices, cancellation terms, and the features your family will actually use before purchasing a parental monitoring service.

What should I do if my child keeps bypassing parental controls?

First, determine how the controls are being bypassed and close that specific gap by changing administrator passwords, disabling guest accounts, checking alternate browsers, and reviewing device permissions. Avoid treating software as the entire solution. Explain why each rule exists, establish reasonable consequences, and adjust restrictions as your child demonstrates responsibility. Persistent workarounds may require stronger router-level filtering or help from your internet provider.

What information should children never share online?

Children should not publicly share their full name, home address, phone number, school, passwords, daily schedule, live location, travel plans, or financial information. Photos can also reveal addresses, school uniforms, identification cards, or embedded location data. Teach children to ask before posting and review ways to protect personal information online.

How can parents make a child’s social media account safer?

Set the account to private, limit messages and comments to approved contacts, disable unnecessary location access, and require approval before tagged content appears. Review followers together and remove unknown or suspicious accounts. Use a unique password and multi-factor authentication when available. Because settings can change, periodically revisit each platform’s controls and learn how to improve social media privacy.

What should a child do when an online stranger asks to meet in person?

The child should stop communicating, avoid sharing additional information, save relevant messages, and immediately tell a parent or another trusted adult. They should never arrange a meeting, even if the person claims to be another child. Block and report the account through the platform. Threats, sexual requests, grooming behavior, or attempts to obtain explicit images should be reported promptly to the appropriate authorities.

How should parents respond to cyberbullying?

Listen calmly, reassure the child that asking for help was the right decision, and preserve screenshots, usernames, dates, links, and messages. Do not encourage retaliation. Block and report the aggressor through the platform, review account privacy settings, and contact the school when classmates are involved. Seek professional or emergency help if the child expresses fear, severe distress, self-harm, or immediate danger.

How can children recognize phishing messages and online scams?

Teach children to question unexpected prizes, urgent warnings, free game currency, account-verification requests, and messages asking them to click a link or provide a password. They should verify requests through the official app or website instead of using message links. Reviewing common phishing and malware warning signs can help the entire family avoid deceptive downloads and login pages.

What should we do if a child’s online account is hacked?

Change the password immediately, sign out other sessions, enable multi-factor authentication, and check whether the recovery email or phone number was altered. Review sent messages, purchases, connected apps, and account activity, then warn contacts about suspicious messages. Use a different strong password for every account and check other accounts if the compromised password was reused.

How can families make online gaming safer for children?

Review each game’s age rating, chat controls, friend requests, purchase settings, and reporting tools before play begins. Limit voice and text chat to people the child genuinely knows, and explain that usernames do not prove someone’s identity. Protect payment details, block suspicious users, and watch for scam links or unsolicited texts. Families can also learn how to identify and block scam messages.

What should a child do if someone asks them for a private or sexual photo or video?

The child should not send the image or continue the conversation. They should save relevant account information or messages when it is safe to do so, tell a parent or another trusted adult immediately, and use the platform’s block and report tools. If a child is being sexually exploited, threatened, or blackmailed, contact appropriate law enforcement or child-protection resources. Browse more RSH Web Services security and privacy articles for related online-safety guidance.

What should parents do if a child is being threatened or blackmailed online?

Stay calm, stop further communication with the person making the threats, and do not send additional images, money, gift cards, passwords, or account access. Preserve the profile, messages, usernames, and other relevant evidence rather than deleting everything immediately. Report the account through the platform and contact appropriate law enforcement or child-protection resources when a child is being exploited or threatened.

Should parents monitor everything their child does online?

Supervision should match the child’s age, maturity, device use, and risk. Younger children generally need closer oversight, while older children can be given increasing independence with clear boundaries and periodic reviews. Explain what is being monitored and why when appropriate. Technical monitoring should support communication and safety rather than replace trust, education, and the child’s ability to ask for help. RSH Web Services customers with website or account questions can use RSH Web Services support.

Author Bio: Harry Sharp

A senior content writer for RSH Web with a fondness for composing engaging and informative articles. In addition to...

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