Help Ensure internet safety for kids by learning the 4 Cs
It’s difficult to remember the days when screens weren’t everywhere, including in the hands of children. In the roughly two decades since digital devices became ubiquitous, parents have navigated an ever-changing landscape around how to maintain internet safety for kids.
And we’re still learning. While the internet has opened new educational frontiers for children around the world , it’s also opened them up to new dangers. Even if your child is using a device for education (see our guide to the best learning apps for kids here), that still requires vigilance and setting parental controls.
Local and state governments are playing catch up to develop effective policies for keeping kids safe online. Thankfully, as a parent, guardian, or caregiver, you can take simple steps to protect kids online. Those begin with an awareness of four primary risk areas: their contacts online, the content they absorb, the conduct of their interactions, and the contracts behind individual app terms that maintain privacy.
Internet safety for kids: Old problems, new technologies
Many of the dangers kids face online are things they already face offline: bullying, exploitation, and fraud, for example. Many of the risk factors are the same. But the internet brings with it a new set of challenges. In a 2023 study examining ways to improve online safety for kids, researchers developed what they called the “4Cs risk framework.” The four categories include:
- Contact risks: Inappropriate contact with strangers online, oversharing of personal information, and even device addiction
- Content risks: Searching for and engaging with inappropriate online content
- Conduct risks: Cyberbullying and inappropriate interactions with peers
- Contract risks: Lack of awareness surrounding digital security and privacy
There’s a lot of overlap between those categories, but each one has its own approach. Here are some more detailed explanations of the 4Cs, along with online safety tips to help you manage those risks.
Keeping kids safe online means understanding the risks of the 4 Cs
It’s called the World Wide Web for a reason. Online safety for kids is a global issue. To that end, researchers around the world have studied how different governments, school systems, and families have developed effective internet safety rules.
Each risk category requires its own approach. Here are just a few online safety tips you can use on your own.
Contact risks: Know who your kids are talking to
American parents have told their kids not to talk to strangers since long before the internet existed. It makes sense that talking to strangers online is one of modern parents’ biggest concerns for their kids.
As with most online safety issues, it’s important to educate your kids about the risks of sharing information with people they don’t know. Talk to them about the specific apps and websites they’re using. You should understand how these apps interact with other users before allowing your children to use them without supervision. Take time to participate with your kids online, so that they’re more comfortable discussing the apps they’re using with you.
Content risks: Harmful content and parental controls
Dangerous online content takes many forms , including (but not limited to):
- Disinformation
- Hate speech
- Lewd content
- Illegal content
Two of the most powerful tools at your disposal are education and monitoring. Understandably, many adults find it uncomfortable to talk about taboo topics with their kids. But even when kids seem to reject their parents’ advice, they do hear it. One recent study suggests that teenagers really do appreciate their parents taking an active role in online safety.
There is also a wide variety of parental control tools that you can install on your child’s devices. Many allow you to limit your child’s screen time, block dangerous websites, and keep track of social media activity.
Conduct risks: Cyberbullying and social media
Bullying is a problem on and offline. On the internet, it can take on a whole new dimension. The anonymity that people feel in digital spaces can create what’s known as the online disinhibition effect. Online, people can have less self-control over their worst impulses. They can end up doing things they would never do in the “real world” offline.
That means that kids online are at greater risk of becoming both perpetrators and victims of cyberbullying; and the more they’re online, the more that risk grows. That’s why limiting screen time is one of the most effective ways to ensure internet safety for kids.
It’s also important to supervise social media use. While social media can help kids feel more connected to their peers, it’s also linked to increased cyberbullying—and increased depression. One study observed that girls’ mental health seemed to improve when parents had more control over their social media habits.
Contract risks: Cybersecurity for kids
Children under the age of ten have an especially difficult time understanding online privacy concerns. They may know not to talk to strangers, but they don’t always grasp the ways that their data can be used to exploit them.
For example, younger kids may not realize that they shouldn’t be sharing their passwords with anyone. It may seem obvious to adults, but it’s important to talk to your kids about password protection. You can also use parental controls to limit access to apps and websites that collect commercial data on your kids.
Internet safety for kids. Peace of mind for adults.
Keeping kids safe online can feel overwhelming in our digital age. Thankfully, by establishing just a few internet safety rules in your home, you can do a lot to protect the ones you love.
- Educate your children about the many risks facing kids online.
- Monitor your child’s internet activity, either by participating in it with them or installing parental control software (or both).
- Limit time spent on social media—and time spent online in general.
The American Academy of Pediatrics also offers some helpful online safety tips:
- Keep internet-connected devices out of your child’s bedroom.
- Establish a “curfew” for online activity after a certain hour.
- Examine your own online behaviors: Be aware of what you’re modeling for your kids.
There’s no need to prohibit internet use. In fact, it’s important for children to be active online, so that they know how to keep themselves safe. Research suggests that children who actively socialize on the internet have a better understanding of how to manage online privacy.
All they need is someone to guide them. And that someone can be you. Visit our website for more online safety tips.
