{"id":22137,"date":"2023-04-17T13:52:39","date_gmt":"2023-04-17T13:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parent.bloomforall.com\/?p=22137"},"modified":"2023-06-27T17:02:07","modified_gmt":"2023-06-27T17:02:07","slug":"internet-safety-tips-for-teens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomforall.com\/parent\/internet-safety-tips-for-teens\/","title":{"rendered":"18 Tips to Keep Your Teen (or Tween) Safe Online"},"content":{"rendered":"

Actionable and practical ways to manage your tween or teen\u2019s privacy and safety online. <\/p>

Protecting your preteen or teen\u2019s digital privacy is an ongoing process that will evolve alongside their digital life. But there are many critical, concrete, and simple steps you can take now<\/em> to keep them safe online. Some are steps to take on your own; others are steps to take together.<\/p>

How to Protect Your Teen Online<\/h2>

Move through these tips with your preteen or teen and use them as an opportunity to deepen conversations about the importance of being a good digital citizen, practicing digital wellness, and protecting their privacy online.<\/p>

1. Use Parental Controls<\/h3>

Engage all available parental controls. <\/strong>These controls filter and block unwanted content and are available through your internet provider and your devices themselves. (Common Sense Media\u2019s Guide to Parental Controls<\/a> is a good starting guide.) <\/p>

Call your cell carrier and ask if they offer any additional parental control protection programs<\/a>, like this one from ATT. <\/p>

2. Disable Location Features<\/h3>

Turn off location features. <\/strong>Disable location tracking and tagging on all devices, on all apps and platforms. Only enable as needed for a maps app, or if using a parental GPS tracking app, like Life 360<\/a>.<\/p>

3. Use Google SafeSearch<\/h3>

Activate Google\u2019s SafeSearch function on each device. This will hide explicit content, like violence and pornography, during Google searches. <\/p>

4. Install Antivirus Software<\/h3>

Use antivirus software. <\/strong>Make sure all antivirus programs are up to date. While they won\u2019t protect against every threat, they will help detect and remove most malware (software used for dishonest means). <\/p>

5. Install Extra Monitoring<\/h3>

Get extra monitoring help. Parental controls aren\u2019t foolproof, and some preteen will find workarounds. Use a program like Bark<\/a>, Circle<\/a> or Qustodio<\/a> for added monitoring.<\/p>

6. Set up an Open Phone Policy<\/h3>

Treat all your devices, including your phone, with an open book policy. Manually check their devices \u2014 and explain why. Go through their search history, texting and chats, and social media content. <\/p>

Check them openly, in front of your preteen, and regularly. Let them know that you will be monitoring their online behavior when you give them the device.<\/p>

7. Create Complex and New Passwords<\/h3>

 Passwords should be strong, long, and unique \u2014 not easily guessed and a mix of capitals and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Make sure your preteen or teen knows to never share or reuse passwords. <\/p>

Try a password tool like LastPass<\/a>, which makes it easier to create and \u201cremember\u201d unique passwords. <\/p>

\"safety<\/figure>

8. Use Passcodes on All Smart Devices<\/h3>

Enable locks. Smartphones, tablets, and laptops should be locked with a unique code that only you both know. As with their passwords, make sure they know not to share the code with anyone else.<\/p>

9. Update Social Media Privacy Settings<\/h3>

Redo privacy settings. <\/strong>Go through their social media accounts together to ensure each is set to private. <\/p>

While everything on the internet should be considered public and permanent, privacy settings are still important: They limit the number of people who see content and protect against hackers.<\/p>

10. Choose Hard Security Questions <\/strong><\/h3>

Make sure they know to choose hard security questions. Avoid discoverable or publicly available information when setting up security questions, like a maiden name or the city in which they were born.<\/p>

11. Don\u2019t Click on Unrequested Links<\/h3>

Teach them to be cautious of spam email and texts, and to never<\/em> click on links sent by text, email, or through social media from someone they don\u2019t know. <\/p>

These are often a way to give the sender access to the device and\/or accounts. If they do mistakenly click on a spam link, they should change their password for that account immediately. <\/p>

12. Ask Them to Avoid Taking Online Quizzes<\/h3>

Avoid quizzes. What was their first dog\u2019s name? The place they were born? Their best friend\u2019s name? <\/p>

These are common security questions used by banks and other organizations that hackers often pose on social media platforms, disguised as quizzes. It\u2019s safer to avoid quizzes on social media altogether.<\/p>

13. Online Shop From Secure Sites<\/h3>

If they\u2019re shopping online, make sure they never make a purchase or add your credit card to a website that\u2019s not secure. Secure sites will be designated with https:<\/em> (the \u201cs\u201d stands for secure) and will likely have a lock symbol in the browser bar.  <\/p>

Other things to look for in secure shopping sites:<\/p>