As your child becomes a teenager, it’s likely the internet will be a part of their daily life. They’ll adapt quickly to new technology and use it to communicate, socialise and create. Most teenagers have access to the internet using a smartphone or tablet, and use a wide range of social media sites as a vital part of their relationships with others.
now that your child's a teen the
internet will be a part of their daily
life
so have regular chats with them about
keeping themselves safe online
help them to think about how they can
build their critical thinking
and deal positively with any risks they
may be faced with online
adjust your parental control settings to
match their level of emotional maturity
our setup safe parental control guides
will walk you through the steps
from parental controls on your home
broadband to internet-enabled devices
your team has access to
put in place a family agreement that you
all agree to
to manage expectations of when where
and how they should use their connected
devices
developing a healthy relationship with
screens is also important
try not to dwell on how much time is
spent on screens but encourage your team
to use devices for a purpose
talk to them about how they can
self-regulate their screen time
for health benefits and removing
distractions
be a good role model as children tend to
copy what they see
don't be afraid to bring up challenging
issues like sexting
pornography and cyberbullying you'll
both benefit from these subjects being
out in the open
reassure your team that you're here to
support them and will not judge them if
they have an issue they feel is too
embarrassing to share
you can also make them aware of other
organizations that can support them
like Childline, if they feel they can't
come to you
keep them safe on the move by
encouraging them to use inbuilt
safety settings on mobile networks and
devices to filter out inappropriate
content
encourage them to review their privacy
settings on their social networking
sites to stay in control of what they
share and with who
talk about creating a positive digital
footprint
by encouraging them to create an online
image which reflects who they are
help your teen feel confident about
saying no if they're asked to do
something that puts them or others at
risk
and help them critically assess what
other people say about them online
talk to them about the pressure of being
asked to send revealing images
and point them to apps that can help
them feel empowered like Zipit
to build their digital resilience give
them a small allowance that they can use
to download
apps music and films for themselves
from places, you have both agreed on
doing all these things will help teens
become more web-savvy and thrive online
because safety on the internet matters
you
Keep talking and stay interested in what they’re doing. Don’t be afraid to bring up challenging issues like inappropriate content, sexting, pornography and cyberbullying. It could be embarrassing, but you’ll both benefit from the subjects being out in the open.
Your child can set privacy settings on most social networking sites so that only close friends can search for them, tag them in a photograph or share what they’ve posted. Talk to them about their personal information, how it can be misused and how they can also take ownership of it.
Use safe settings on all mobile devices but be aware that if your child is accessing the internet using public WiFi, filters to block inappropriate content may not be active. Some outlets, like McDonald’s, are part of family friendly WiFi schemes so look out for RDI Friendly WiFi symbols when you’re out and about. You can also use parental control apps or software on devices to help limit harms on the go.
Talk to your teenager about being responsible when they’re online. Children often feel they can say things online that they wouldn’t say face-to-face. Teach them to always have respect for themselves and others online.
Let them know that anything they upload, email or message could stay around forever online. Remind them they should only do things online that they wouldn’t mind you, their teacher or a future employer seeing. Get them to think about creating a positive digital footprint.
If you can afford to, give them a small allowance that they can use for spending online so they can download apps, music and films for themselves, from places you agree together.
Remind them how important it is not to give in to peer pressure to send inappropriate comments or images. Point them to the Send this instead and Zipit apps which will help them deal with these types of requests.
of children aged 12-15s who own a mobile are allowed to take it bed with them
Parents with children in this age bracket tend to have the least awareness of what their child is engaging with online.
See our parenting digital natives report to get more insight on parents concerns about their children’s digital lives.
Here are some of our favourite resources to help you learn more about e-safety for teenagers and pass on the message to them. We’ve also highlighted some apps to help them navigate the digital world.
As part of our new partnership with the BBC, we’ve worked together to create an interactive guide to give you practical tips on how you can keep your children safe online. It covers 7 key areas such as “Taking control with tech” and “What kind of parent am I?”.
Vodafone’s Digital Parenting provides checklists and practical advice on keeping children safe online.
From setting up parental controls to reporting online bullying, you can call the free helpline on 0808 800 5002, or visit an O2 Guru in store.
Set ground rules with Google Family Link and use a range of safety tools to help the whole family build good online safety habits.
O2 and NSPCC’s Net Aware is a guide for parents of 50 of the most popular social networks, apps, and games with children. You can download it as an app or visit the site to stay informed.
Although digitally savvy teens are the most confident online, they are more likely to experience online issues as they get older. Find out what these are and how you can support them with our guide.
Get tools and tips to support your child’s digital wellbeing on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp
Get insight on how teens use social media, how they manage romantic relationships and the impact on porn on their understanding of their own bodies. Features teenagers discussing their experiences.
Parent Info is a collaboration between CEOP and Parent Zone. It provides high-quality information to parents and carers about their children’s wellbeing and resilience. Schools can host the content on their own website and use it in any other ways (in letters to parents etc) that they want.
Young Minds Parents Helpline is available to offer advice to parents and carers worried about a child or young person under 25. Call 0808-802-5544 to get support.
Use the AAP’s tool to create a family media plan to help you to think about media & create goals & rules that are in line with your family’s values.
With the help of Pocket-lint’s Andy Robertson, we’ve given tips on how best to use them and reviewed the top apps available.
We’ve scoured the best of the net to uncover popular (FREE) wellbeing apps available to download.
Use the Good App Guide to get independent reviews of children’s apps, parenting and child development advice. It is run by Fundamentally Children an organisation dedicated to helping children develop skills through play
Own it covers everything from online privacy and avoiding malware, through to dealing with everyday dilemmas children face online, as well as having fun. Quick links to charities and organisations like Childline, whose phone lines and online chat can provide urgent support should children need it, will also be available.
Age-appropriate games, activities and information that can teach teens how to keep safe online.
Created by young people for young people, the code offers simple steps to take positive action to deal with cyberbullying.
Part of the BBC’s ‘Bitesize’ resources and suitable for children aged 11-14. An interactive video that helps children to recognise and avoid potentially dangerous situations online.
Created by Childline it is said to be the first app to provide counselling to young people directly through their smartphone.
Invented by four teenagers who wanted to use technology to address the urgent need for confidential support among young people, the ‘For Me’ app is free to download in the UK and has been specifically designed for discreet usage.
Made by ChildLine, Zipit aims to help teenagers deal with difficult sexting and flirting situations. The app offers humorous comebacks and advice and aims to help teenagers stay in control of flirting when chatting.
Calm Harm is an app designed to help people resist or manage the urge to self-harm. It’s private and password protected.
This app aims to build a digital community where children can share art, stories, games, photos, and contests that they’ve created with other like-minded children. Children can follow friends, other PopJam accounts, and their favourite band, artist, or authors.
The Disrespect NoBody website aims to prevent young people from becoming perpetrators and victims of abusive relationships by encouraging them to re-think their views of abuse, controlling behaviour and what consent and sexting – the sending of explicit images by phone or email – means within relationships.
