Helping your teen stay safe online

Managing a positive online reputation

When we are online, we leave a trail of information which can be used to determine what we might be interested in buying or viewing online. A digital footprint is data that is left behind when users have been online. There are two types of digital footprints which are passive and active. A passive footprint is made when information is collected from the user without the person knowing this is happening. An active digital footprint is where the user has deliberately shared information about themselves either by using social media sites or by using websites.

A lot of employers will also use social media to vet prospective employees, so it is important that you are mindful as to what you post on any such sites. Of course, there is no limit as to how far you can go back in time on social media sites and once something is posted, there is no way of removing it completely. Others might have commented or shared your posts and this in turn will create their own digital footprint. This is something that needs to be discussed with your children and teenagers so they can be educated and are aware what might happen to that information.

Worried about online bullying

Cyberbullying is any form of bullying which takes place online or through smartphones and tablets. Social networking sites, messaging apps and gaming can be great fun and a positive experience. The worst thing about social networking is that anything nasty posted can be seen by lots of people and these posts can go viral and be shared by so many people within minutes. Posting false and malicious things about people on the internet can be classed as harassment. If you are worried that your teen is experiencing online bullying, please visit our advice page on how to get help for online bullying.

Keeping safe online

Keeping your teen safe online can be an uphill battle as there are so many new changes in technology and updates that it can be difficult to stay on top of it. Talking to your teen about their online activity is important and taking an interest in what they are doing can help keep those lines of communications open.

Explain to them how to keep their personal information safe online by not sharing any personal information, contact details or location. They may be posting things that may open them up to risks, like the name of their school, location check-ins, etc. Also remind them to log out of social networks, especially on public computers as this will minimise the risk of their accounts being hacked and misused. 

Educate your teen about what they post online as it's important to remember that anything posted online has entered a public domain and is no longer under the control of the person who has posted it. Messages and pictures can be reposted and manipulated and may be seen by people who your child does not them to be seen by. A good question to have in mind when posting online is, "Would I want my grandparents or teachers to see this?" If the answer is "No", then it probably shouldn't go online.

Help them to update their privacy settings to make sure their socials are private, and their location settings are turned off. Ask them to turn off their location on their apps too, for example if they are on Snapchat, they can turn Snapmaps off which is a tool that shows their location. Ensure that your teen does not accept requests or messages from people they do not know as people could be using false names or hiding behind fake profiles. Remind them to be vigilant and to be suspicious of anyone they do not know.

Other organisations that can help

Report Harmful Content can help you to report harmful content online by providing up to date information on community standards and direct links to the correct reporting facilities across multiple platforms

Childnet can provide help and guidance on online safety

Internet Matters have lots of helpful advice for parents