Our children are growing up in a time when they have unlimited access to the Internet, just as much as we did years ago to television, books, and movies. The difference is that they cannot point out the pros and cons of using the different devices or make a comparison since they have never lived without them. This naturally leads to children not taking the necessary care when communicating and sharing information online.

What they see is just a screen that reacts to their pressing of various buttons.

Despite all the above, our comments and reactions should not be too extreme when trying to explain to our children how to properly use the Internet. The right thing to do is to educate them technologically, giving them the opportunity to acquire skills such as computer literacy and knowledge of how to use technology in a healthy way.

We’ve prepared for you some tips that can help you do that smoothly with your child. You can use them to educate them or apply them yourself. 

1. Use strong passwords

Many people use default passwords or passwords with simple combinations because they don't want to spend time on them or have trouble remembering them.

According to the National Cyber ​​Security Center, the most popular passwords of 2023 are:

123456

123456789

Qwerty

password

1111111

Hopefully none of these passwords look familiar to you!

If by chance your password or your child's password comes close to the combinations listed above, change it immediately! Be creative when creating your next password. Hackers will very quickly find information about your last name, child's name or date of birth.

So it's a good idea to try something related to your hobbies or a book you like. A mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols is always a good choice (and often required by some websites).

Think of your password like your toothbrush - don't share it with anyone and change it regularly!

2. Manage the sharing of personal information

This seems obvious, but unfortunately, when most people say they've been hacked, it's usually by accident that they've previously shared information about themselves online. And with children, accidents are their every second step and therefore they should be given special attention.

The least that can happen after sharing your personal information online is to be inundated with spam and unpleasant calls or, more problematic, phishing attempts or even more serious scams.

If the site your child is using for fun requires additional information, review it carefully before filling it out. No one online actually needs to know your home address or bank account details.

3. Consider the safety of your device

If someone stole your child's cell phone, what would they find on it? Pictures of you and your family, your social media accounts (it's very easy to set passwords for them), and an online banking app?

Maybe it's time to consider setting a PIN or using facial recognition or fingerprint scanning, which are pre-installed on most mobile devices now. You can also use tracking apps if the worst happens to get your device back in the fastest way possible.

4. Choose your friends carefully

This applies to your offline life as well as your online life – think twice before accepting another friend request. Talk to your child about the people they want to be friends with online. Do you know the person? Why do they add it?

Some of the games today's kids play can encourage meeting new people, which is good in a safe environment - they might even become good friends! But if such friends ask them to use special apps and chat elsewhere, it can be risky.

Surely, your child will receive at least one invitation from a stranger, so make sure that this topic is clear. Before accepting anyone, the kid will think and make the right decision or else consult with you.

Your child's friend requester may be someone pretending to be their friend or their friend may have been hacked; you never know. This technique is also very popular in spreading viruses.

5. Think about the apps you and your family use

Online leisure activities are meant to be enjoyable. If they aren't, maybe ask yourself, why? Children will often want to use popular apps that their peers already have, even when they may not be appropriate for their age. Unfortunately, they may not be prepared for some of the content, language or behaviour they might encounter in various online spaces.

This is a great opportunity to talk to your kids about what their favorite thing to do online is. Use trusted apps that are directly downloaded from the App Store or Google Play Store to make sure they are not full of viruses!

6. Take time to read the fine print and Internet safety sections 

We all miss the fine print, but we should make it a habit to take the time and read the terms carefully before we check that 'OK' box.

Are you comfortable with your information being shared with third parties?

Do you allow the app to post your photos elsewhere without your permission?

Also, check out the rules and how to report anything that doesn't seem right, and help your kids do the same.

7. Talk together about what to do if something worries your children

Show and encourage your children to use the tools of the entertainment platforms, making sure that they will not hesitate to discuss with you if something seems wrong to them.

If they trust you to help them and not scold them or take their device, they're much more likely to seek you out and share.