{"id":194168,"date":"2024-06-13T05:04:05","date_gmt":"2024-06-13T12:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=194168"},"modified":"2024-06-21T07:43:55","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T14:43:55","slug":"how-to-keep-your-kids-safe-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/how-to-keep-your-kids-safe-online\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online"},"content":{"rendered":"

I often joke about how I wish I could wrap up my kids in cotton wool to protect them from all the challenges of the real world. When they were little, I would have loved to protect them from some of the trickier kids in the playground. But as they got older, it was all about the internet and of course, alcohol, drugs and fast cars!<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, I don\u2019t have solutions for all of the above parenting challenges but with over 12 years of experience as Cybermum, I know a thing or two about keeping kids safe online.<\/p>\n

Online Safety \u2013 Whose Responsibility Is It?<\/h2>\n

The CEOs of the world\u2019s largest social media platforms were recently summoned to a Senate Judicial Committee hearing in Washington. The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is still being heavily debated and representatives from Meta, Discord, TikTok, Snap and X, the company formerly known as Twitter, were invited to participate in the hearing. Designed to regulate social media and better protect children, the proposed bill has a lot of support but there is still a way to go before it takes its final shape and potentially becomes law.<\/p>\n

In my opinion, there\u2019s no question that governments worldwide need to play a bigger, more vocal role in this arena and insist on better protections for all social media users, particularly our kids. In 2019, Australia passed its own Online Safety Act<\/a> and the UK did the same in 2023 with its Online Safety Law<\/a>. And while these are all very important steps forward, I honestly believe that the role families play in teaching their kids about online safety is even more important.<\/p>\n

Digital Parenting Can Be Overwhelming<\/h2>\n

I totally understand that teaching kids about online safety can just feel like another task on a never-ending to-do list. I\u2019ve been there! But think of it like this. Haven\u2019t you been talking to your kids about sun safety and road safety along the way? You know, dropping in little reminders and tips as you drop them at school or pick them up from a play date? Well, this is how you need to think about online safety. Focus on breaking it down into little chunks so it doesn\u2019t feel hard.<\/p>\n

Now that we have our mindset sorted, let me share my top tips for helping your kids stay safe while they are online.<\/p>\n

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  1. Start Early and Talk Often<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    As soon as your kids can pick up a device, your conversations about online safety need to start. Yes, I know it might seem ridiculous, but it is THE best way to help \u2018mould and shape\u2019 your offspring\u2019s mind in a cyber-safe way. If your 2-year-old likes to play games on your iPad, it could be as simple as:<\/p>\n