Internet safety for kids: 10 rules every parent must know

The internet can be an incredible place for kids to learn, explore, and stay entertained—but it also comes with serious risks. From cyberbullying to online predators and privacy threats, children face dangers that many parents may not even be aware of.

That’s why it’s crucial to set clear, age-appropriate rules for safe internet use. In this article, we’ll walk you through 10 essential internet safety rules every parent should know to help protect their kids online.

Why is teaching internet safety important?

Teaching internet safety is important because children face unique risks online that go far beyond what many parents experienced growing up. Without proper guidance, children—who, due to their age, haven’t yet developed the psychological tools to distinguish real information from misinformation or recognize the red flags of a scam—can easily fall victim to threats like cyberbullying, online predators, scams, or privacy breaches.

But just as crucially, they might also—without realizing it—engage in harmful behavior themselves, such as sharing offensive content or participating in bullying. Teaching them how to navigate the internet responsibly helps protect them from danger while also preventing them from becoming a danger to others.

The digital landscape kids are navigating

Children today grow up in a world of social media platforms, video-sharing apps, online games, and data-stealing apps. Nowadays, most children are engaging in online spaces before developing a full understanding of online spaces or the implications of their actions.

This potentially unlimited exposure to the digital world may help children develop early communication skills, but it also increases their chances of encountering cyberbullying, misinformation, or online predators. Helping kids understand this environment is key to preparing them for both the risks and benefits of online spaces.

Risks children face online

Kids are vulnerable to a broad range of online risks, including exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, privacy breaches, online grooming, and scams. Many threats are subtle, often hidden in friendly-looking apps or games. Without the proper guidance, children may unknowingly share personal information or become targets of sinister manipulation efforts.

Building digital awareness early

Starting digital safety education early helps children develop a clear sense of right and wrong online behavior. By teaching age-appropriate lessons about privacy, respect, and critical thinking, parents and educators lay the groundwork for responsible online citizenship. Young learners are especially receptive to these lessons, making it easier to instill good habits that persist as they gain more digital independence.

The long-term impact of unsafe online behavior

Unsafe online behavior can have lasting psychological consequences, including mental health struggles, reduced self-esteem, and vulnerability to further cyberbullying or grooming attempts. It can also come with a damaged reputation, lowered school grades, and difficulty maintaining relationships long-term. What children post or share online can follow them into adulthood, potentially affecting college admissions or career prospects.

10 essential internet safety tips for parents

1. Talk to your kids about their digital footprint

Everything your child posts, shares, or comments on becomes part of their digital footprint. This footprint can follow them forever. Their early decisions could end up impeding their careers, school admissions, and social lives. Explain to your children that even information that was sent privately can still be leaked and that everything they do or say exists somewhere online.

2. Help them distinguish between safe and harmful websites

Teach kids how to spot trustworthy websites by looking for secure connections (https), proper grammar, and recognizable domain names. Harmful websites often contain misleading content, malware, or inappropriate material, meaning just accessing them can be a risk to your child’s safety.

Encourage your kids to ask a trusted adult if they’re unsure about a site, and consider using a kid-friendly browser to minimize the risk. Parents should also consider manually blacklisting websites that they don’t want their kid to access.

3. Teach them not to share personal information

Children should understand that it isn’t okay to share personal details without permission, including full names, addresses, phone numbers, or school info. Even casually mentioning details can expose them to scams, identity theft, doxxing, or online predators. Reinforce that private information should only be shared with trusted adults and secure services when absolutely necessary.

4. Encourage the use of strong, unique passwords

A strong password is your child’s first line of defense against account breaches. Show them how to create secure passwords using a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols and how to protect them with two-factor authentication. Using a secure password manager such as ExpressVPN Keys will help them safely store their credentials and generate strong and unique passwords.

5. Install security software and keep it updated

One of the most important tools for keeping your children safe online is a good antivirus, as it will prevent your child from accidentally installing malware on their device. Good antivirus software also incorporates phishing protection, which is essential for preventing social engineering attacks. In addition, keep operating systems and apps updated to the latest security patch to prevent known vulnerabilities.

6. Set up a child-friendly VPN

A child-safe and school-friendly VPN can help protect your kid’s location and prevent data theft on public and home Wi-Fi networks. ExpressVPN also offers built-in parental filters and content restrictions to keep younger users safe. It also has an airtight privacy policy and doesn’t collect your child’s data or expose them by sharing data with third parties. If you’ve never used a VPN before, check out our full guide on how to set up and use ExpressVPN.

7. Explain the dangers of talking to strangers online

When you speak with your kids about the dangers of speaking with strangers, make sure that you explain that they need to be wary of online strangers as well. Explain how strangers may pretend to be peers or trustworthy adults to gain their trust and manipulate them. Encourage your child to report suspicious behavior and never share personal info or images with anyone they don’t know in real life.

8. Monitor their social media activity and be transparent about it

While it’s important to respect your child’s privacy, you should be monitoring their social media accounts, especially while they’re young. Review their privacy settings together, discuss what’s appropriate to post, and regularly check in to make sure they’re following the rules and are not being targeted by anyone with malicious intentions. By teaching them how to navigate social media accounts and being transparent that you’ll check it, you can foster both healthy online communications and trust between you and your child.

9. Teach them to recognize online scams

Children are increasingly targeted by scams through email, social media, and gaming platforms. Teach them to avoid clicking on unknown links, downloading suspicious files, or responding to messages promising prizes or money. Help them set up and use multi-factor authentication tools that prevent scammers from gaining unauthorized access to their accounts.

10. Promote healthy screen time habits

You should set clear boundaries on when your children can and can’t use their devices. Encourage a mixture of online and offline activities, and talk with them if you see they’re developing a dependency on their devices. The easiest way to set firm limits and ensure that your kids are following them is to use parental control apps with built-in time limits and schedules.

Using parental controls and supervision tools

Parental control apps help you monitor your child’s internet usage, set time periods and schedules for when they can go online, and be used to block harmful sites. These tools are especially helpful while your child is getting used to the internet.

The median age at which children are given their first online device is around 10, but it’s increasingly common for kids to get a device as early as preschool. When a child is that young, their mind hasn’t developed enough to understand the implications of their actions.Whether you’re using in-depth parental controls that monitor your child’s location, internet history, and time online, or you’re using lightweight parental controls like ExpressVPN’s explicit content blocker, parental controls make it safer for your child to use their devices.

Helpful internet safety resources for parents and educators

Staying informed about internet safety is essential for protecting your children online. Fortunately, several trusted platforms offer free, age-appropriate tools and lessons to help children develop healthy online habits.

Google’s Be Internet Awesome

Be Internet Awesome by Google teaches kids the fundamentals of online safety through interactive lessons and games. It primarily teaches through Interland, a game where children explore key concepts like privacy, phishing awareness, and respectful communication. The program also includes lessons for educators and guardians. It’s designed for kids ages 7–12 and aligns with ISTE standards.

Common Sense Media’s digital literacy tools

Common Sense Media offers a comprehensive K-12 digital citizenship curriculum used in thousands of schools. Its lessons address topics such as cyberbullying, privacy, media balance, and critical thinking. Each lesson is age-specific and includes videos, assessments, and additional family resources.

Federal Trade Commission’s Youville

Youville is a virtual city created by the FTC to help children learn about online privacy and digital responsibility in a fun, relatable way. Aimed at pre-teens and early teens, Youville presents real-world scenarios where students must make smart choices about sharing information, managing passwords, and identifying trustworthy websites.