Answer the questions about digital safety below, then explore our explanations and practical tips to support your child’s online safety.
1. Sienna, age 10, likes spending time on her tablet. She can quickly figure out new apps and helps her parents with basic tech issues. One evening, Sienna asks her mum if it’s okay to join a new social media app that all her friends are using. Her mum feels unsure because she's not familiar with it. She is thinking “My daughter’s a digital native, she probably knows what she’s doing online”.
Today, most parents think of children as ‘digital natives’. Do you agree with this statement?
2. If your child has access to devices and online spaces, would you be confident to say that you know what they’re doing online?
3. The parent of Reuben, age 8, felt relieved to learn that the distressing event he experienced occurred only online and not in real life. They believed that this would make it easier for Reuben to overcome the upset compared to if it had happened offline.
Can online experiences have the same impact on children (such as emotional, social, etc.) than the experiences offline?
4. Sophia, age 12, is deciding how to spend her afternoon. She wants to stay home and play an online game, but her friends are going to the park. Her parents are concerned about her safety in the park and think staying at home is the safer option.
Do you agree with the following statement: Children are definitely safer at home using their devices than playing outside in a park where strangers may be present?
5. Penelope is sitting with her parent, having a quiet afternoon together. Suddenly, Penelope mentions a video she saw online that was clearly not meant for her age and may have left her feeling confused or scared. How should her parent respond?
6. True or False: Social media algorithms can introduce harmful content to my child even if they are not searching for it.
7. Jamal, aged 11, tells his parents that several of his friends already have a TikTok account. He feels the platform looks fun and would like to create his own account to share videos of himself playing the drums and making music. As Jamal’s parents, would you help him set up an account?
8. True or False: average age of exposure to online adult pornography for a child is 15 years old.
9. When a child is playing an online game, how fast can they be exposed to grooming?
10. Aisha’s parents decide to set a time limit of one hour per day on all devices, hoping to create better balance with homework, sleep, and family time.
However, when Aisha is asked to stop mid-game, she becomes upset because she feels she is being “cut off” from her friends and important in-game activities. This often leads to arguments at home, with Aisha refusing to log off and her parents feeling frustrated that the rules are not being followed.
What should Aisha’s parents do?
11. Theo’s parents enjoy posting pictures of his successes on social media because they are very proud of him. However, they start wondering if sharing with many strangers is safe.
Do you agree with the following statement: sharing pictures of your child on social media is up to the parent and they should make the decision based on their own parenting style.
12. Chloe has just received her first smartphone. Over several weeks, her parents have had many conversations with her about staying safe online. Together, they have set privacy settings, agreed on clear rules for app use, and talked through certain online risks.
Despite all of this, Chloe’s dad still feels anxious. He worries that she might accidentally come across harmful content or be approached by someone with bad intentions when she is using her phone alone.
What could Chloe’s dad do to make sure Chloe is 100% safe in online spaces?
13. Karim’s parents are tech-savvy and have set up a range of parental controls on his phone. Content filters are set to age-appropriate levels, they can see which apps he spends time on, and access to platforms deemed unsuitable for his age has been blocked. Is this a highly effective way to protect Karim?
14. Niamh is excited to show her parent a new online game she has been playing. She explains how she has built her own character and proudly demonstrates what she has created. Her parent sits with her, asks questions about the game and shows genuine interest in what Niamh is doing. The parent also asks who she has been playing with online, how she feels when she plays and if there have been any upsetting situations before. After a short while, the parent suggests exploring the game settings together to check privacy options and make sure Niamh is only interacting with people she knows. They then decide to play the game together as Niamh shows her parent where to download the game and how to join her game.
Which important parts of parenting Niamh’s parent is transferring to the online space? (Choose as many as you think are applicable)
15. Do you feel overwhelmed about starting digital safety education with your child?
Take a Few Minutes to Share Your Thoughts!
Your answers help us create resources that actually work for parents and reach more families. There are six short questions, and it only takes a few minutes!
