Patient education: Keeping children and teens safe online and on social media (The Basics)

Why is online safety important? — Many children and teens use the internet and social media. These can be great tools for learning and connecting with others. But they can also be dangerous.

It's important to teach children and teens about how the internet and social media work. There are things you can do to help keep them safe.

What can I do to keep a child or teen safe online?

●Know how they get online – Besides using computers and smartphones, people can also get on the internet in other ways. For example, they might have access through tablets, video game consoles, and some TVs.

●Talk about what they do online – Talk about what websites or apps they want to use. Then, look at them together. Talk about what is appropriate for them to look at or use.

●Set rules about using the internet or social media – Clear rules can help. For example, you can set limits on things like:

•How much time they can spend using devices

•When they can and cannot use devices

•Which sites and apps they can use

•When it is OK to use the camera feature on a device

Remind them that different families might have different rules.

●Keep devices where you can see them – Especially for younger children, it's important to know what they are doing online. You might choose to let children use devices only in common areas of your home. For older children and teens, you might set a rule about keeping phones and other devices out of their bedroom at night.

●Use "parental controls" – Parental controls are a security setting. They can be found on some devices, apps, or web browsers. (A web browser is the software you use to get online, such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.) Parental control settings block content that is not appropriate for children. For example, many video streaming services have parental control settings.

●Talk about privacy – Children and teens need to know that the internet and social media are a public space. Once they post something online, it can be difficult or impossible to erase. Help them understand that they need to be careful about what they do and share online, just like in the real world.

●Talk about when it is OK to share personal information – Teach them to be very careful when sharing information about themselves online. This includes things like their name, address, phone number, email address, and photos. A good general rule is that if they wouldn't give that information to a stranger, they shouldn't post or share it online.

●Teach them about online predators – Children and teens need to understand that not everything on the internet is true. They should be very careful about talking online to anyone that they do not know in the real world. They should never make plans to meet up with anyone that they have only talked to online. Help them understand that some people use the internet to lie and pretend to be someone they are not.

●Talk about "cyberbullying" – Cyberbullying is when people use social media to bully another person. This often happens through sending messages directly to the targeted person. Just like with regular bullying, this can have a serious negative impact on children or teens. It can be hard for victims of cyberbullying to talk about what is happening. Tell children and teens that they can come to you if they are being bullied, or if they see someone else being bullied online. Teach them to be kind and respect others online.

●Teach them to keep their location private – Some websites or apps use something called "geotagging." This is a way to record where someone is when they are using the website or app. Sometimes, this information can be seen by other users, too. Photo files can also store information about when and where the photo was taken. Many social media apps and websites remove this information when a photo is posted, but not all do. Make sure that children and teens know about these features, and turn them off when possible.

What else should I know? — Most experts agree that children and teens should have limited "screen time" each day. Screen time includes using devices to get on social media and the internet. It also includes other activities like watching TV, playing video games, or video chatting. Too much screen time can be bad for children's and teen's developing brains.

Expert recommendations for screen time are based on the child's age:

●0 to 18 months – Babies and children 18 months or younger should have no screen time at all. An exception is video calls to connect with relatives.

●18 months to 5 years – Children 18 months to 5 years should have no more than 1 hour of screen time per day. For children younger than 2 years, you should always monitor their screen time. For children between 2 and 5 years, you should ideally monitor their screen time, too. Using screens with your child can help them understand what they are watching.

Choose high-quality media programs and apps. You can find reviews for children's content on a website called Common Sense Media (www.commonsensemedia.org).

●5 and older, including teens – For children 5 and older, including teens, make a "family media plan" that is right for your child and family. Think about how much screen time your child or teen needs for school or work, their age and maturity, and your family's priorities. The American Academy of Pediatrics has information to help you make a family media plan online at: www.healthychildren.org/English/fmp/Pages/MediaPlan.aspx.

Help children and teens have a healthy relationship with screens by modeling good habits. Try to limit your own screen time for things other than work to 1 to 2 hours each day.