Online safety for young children

As parents and carers, online safety begins with you. Young children are online before we know it. They are playing with connected toys, tapping and swiping touch screens, choosing programs to watch on streaming services, video calling family and friends, playing games and sharing photos and video. Being online has many benefits for young children, including opportunities to explore their creativity, improve their language skills, solve problems, think critically and build relationships. But there may be risks if young children use connected devices without supervision or for extended periods of time. They may accidentally come across inappropriate content or be exposed to contact from people they don’t know. They may share personal information or images. As they grow older, they could experience cyberbullying. By talking to your child about online safety now you lay the foundations for safer online experiences as they grow older.

Over the next few weeks we will share key online safety issues for young children and include a range of practical tips and advice on how to support and guide them to be safe online.