{"id":73419,"date":"2017-05-09T07:00:08","date_gmt":"2017-05-09T14:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/securingtomorrow.mcafee.com\/?p=73419"},"modified":"2025-08-26T04:47:46","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T11:47:46","slug":"kids-give-away-share-passwords","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/kids-give-away-share-passwords\/","title":{"rendered":"What Else Kids Give Away When They Share Their Personal Passwords"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tweens and teens share clothes, secrets, and homework notes but there\u2019s something else your kids may be sharing that isn\u2019t so wise \u2014 their passwords.<\/p>\n

Password sharing has become a symbol of trust between friends and a sign of intimacy between significant others so much so that most teens aspire to password sharing as \u201crelationship goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ask the dozen oft-surveyed teens in my world, and they happily explain that password sharing is \u201cno big deal,\u201d \u201cfun,\u201d and \u201cwhat friends do.\u201d Sharing also \u201cproves to people you trust them\u201d and is \u201cthe best way to keep tabs” on a significant other.<\/p>\n

But before you cringe at this seemingly naive behavior, wait. A recent survey<\/a> World Password Day from McAfee, reveals that 59% of people surveyed are comfortable sharing their passwords with other people. People share passwords with spouse\/partner (37%), family (23%), parents (23%) and even friends (9%) and colleagues (5%). The survey, which canvassed 3,000 people ages 18 and over, also exposes that 34% re-use the same or similar passwords on multiple accounts and that most people keep track of their passwords by writing them down and keeping them somewhere safe (37%). Another study from Pew <\/a>Institute echoes these recent findings stating that 67% of Internet users in marriages or relationships have shared passwords with one or more of their accounts with their partner.<\/p>\n

But is sharing your password such a good idea? Arguments exist on either side.<\/p>\n

Obvious reasons emerge in the headlines each week to remind us why we shouldn\u2019t share passwords. The heartbreak publically plays out in betrayal, revenge, cruel jokes, reputation damage, financial and identity theft<\/a>, and, sadly even sextortion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are also the larger reasons for not sharing passwords that likely aren\u2019t even on your child\u2019s radar such as guarding the value and power of personal privacy and boundaries.<\/p>\n

Family Talking Points<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Boundaries matter.<\/strong> Keeping personal passwords private helps kids exercise healthy boundaries. Not all personal things need to be shared in a relationship, no matter how close two people may be. Maintaining independence in any relationship is a good thing. In the best-selling book Boundaries<\/em>, Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend define a boundary as \u201ca personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible. In other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Establishing boundaries helps children (and adults) understand and take responsibility for the things over which they have control. The boundaries we draw (such as privacy) begin to define us and what we believe about our values and standards. By forfeiting boundaries around the issue of privacy, kids can develop destructive behavior patterns in relationships.<\/p>\n

Privacy is honoring.<\/strong> Allowing friends and significant others to maintain password privacy, honors the personal space and possessions of another person. While kids may believe sharing passwords builds trust, a friend would not require you to give away your privacy to prove the depth of a relationship. Relationships require respect for a person\u2019s material, emotional, and physical boundaries.<\/p>\n

Pressure isn\u2019t love.<\/strong> Peer pressure can come in many forms, even requests for a password. A simple request to \u201chey, I need to Google something, what\u2019s your lock screen password?\u201d can make one person in a relationship vulnerable to material and emotional risks. A friendship or relationship can become bullish, controlling, and one in which the \u201cmonitored\u201d party develops a need to please.<\/p>\n

People change.<\/strong> As much as kids pledge undying loyalty to one another (\u201che\u2019d never do anything to hurt my reputation!\u201d), even the strongest bonds can surprisingly break, and the strength of the emotions that follow can be startling. Encourage kids to share some things but not all things, especially anything that can be used against them later. It\u2019s just not wise.<\/p>\n

No shortcuts to trust.<\/strong> Websters defines trust as \u201ca firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.\u201d To have a firm belief in anything or anyone is a process that takes time and experience. So, it stands to reason, that the act of sharing passwords does not instantly make a relationship trustworthy. In a relationship, a person\u2019s consistent character over time is what builds trust. There are no shortcuts to trust.<\/p>\n

Reclaiming privacy.<\/strong> This generation is often defined by the media as the generation that’s willing to share everything online. That opinion does not have to be your child’s reality. If your child (or you) constantly puts others needs first, has trouble saying no, and believes that setting healthy boundaries in a relationship could jeopardize it, then he or she may be a co-dependent person. Co-dependent people don\u2019t honestly feel they have rights because they have given them all away. Slowly, over time, they have moved if not eliminated, their personal boundaries. It\u2019s never too late to change this picture and help your child learn how to establish healthy boundaries. Healthy boundaries include: Having clear opinions and preferences and acting upon them, feeling safe and secure in relationships, being aware of personal choice in relationships, being able to identify manipulative behaviors in others.<\/p>\n

Password Reminders. <\/strong>Change your passwords every few months \u2014 start today.\u00a0A strong password has all of the following characteristics:<\/p>\n