Safety in the Digital World

With school back in session soon, kids will be spending more of their time completing schoolwork online, making it an important time to talk with your children about safety in the digital world.

Norton’s 2023 Cyber Safety Insights Report shows that only 30 percent of parents enable any kind of parental-control software, effectively letting about seven in ten children explore the internet on their own. Pew Research Center’s 2024 teen-parent study paints an equally loose picture of oversight: barely half of parents have ever checked their teenager’s phone, and 48 percent impose no screen-time limits. Microsoft’s 2023 Global Online Safety Survey adds the cautionary counterpoint — while 74 percent of teens say they’ve encountered at least one online risk, only 62 percent of parents think their child has faced such dangers — underscoring just how much trust still outpaces reality.

With kids having access to the Internet at their fingertips, here are some things parents can do to ensure their kids safety in the digital world when they’re at school, whether they’re on a computer or their own smartphone.

1. Lock your devices. Check your child’s device to ensure there is a simple password or PIN code enabled.
2. Know school Internet use policies. Familiarize yourself and your child with the student handbook, and sign the internet policies if required. 
3. Follow school guidelines. Be aware of the times available for device usage opportunities, and make sure that your child is following the guidelines set forth by the school. 
4. Be cautious around others. Remind your child of the importance of asking permission before taking a photo or video of another individual. 
5. Only use trusted websites. Stay aware of the risk of viruses that can damage your device even by simply going to a website that has been infected. Stay on the sites that the teacher has provided, and always ask parents/guardians if you are not sure.
6. Do not click open unsolicited messages. Text, email, and social media-based attacks are common and can be disguised as spam accounts posing as people we know. Remind your child that they should only open attachments or messages if they are certain that they are from people they know.
7. Use private meeting rooms. If your kids set up virtual study groups, ensure the platform they are using has all privacy settings enabled, with passwords for invitees to attend.
8. Don’t believe everything you read. Students may be asked by their teacher to do some research online for more information on a topic they are working on in class. Be cognizant that not everything online is true or safe for viewing. 
9. Talk to your kids about cyberbullying. Cyberbullies often send hateful and harmful messages to victims via text and email. Remind your kids that cyberbullying is wrong and should be reported to a trusted adult.
10. Find resources and literature, such as the award-winning Alicia Connected series, to help kids safely navigate through a digital world. The series reminds young readers that “with great power comes great responsibility.”

Today’s children are growing up in a cybercentric culture. Where it seems cumbersome to implore every safeguard of the dangers of cyber activity, it is possible to keep them secure and avoid risks by teaching them how to be safe online with the right resources and guidance.

If a cell phone seems like too much for your child, there are other alternatives like the TickTalk watch. Certified by an FTC-approved Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Safe Harbor program, TickTalk gives your family the safest kids smartwatch with industry-leading standards to safeguard your child’s private information.

Derek Fisher has spent decades in the computer engineering field, with the last 10 years in cybersecurity as a leader, speaker, and instructor. His passion has been to take complex security topics and make them simple and easy to understand. He holds several security certifications and teaches cybersecurity at Temple University, where he is also an external advisory board member to the cybersecurity program.

Fisher is also the author of the middle grade series, Alicia Connected, which aims to build on his theme of helping kids safely navigate through a digital world. The series has garnered glowing reviews and multiple prestigious industry awards.

Originally written by Derek Fisher on August 2, 2025. Updated by Orlando Mom Editor on July 15, 2025.