Even today, kids trust parental advice over anyone else’s. Take advantage of that cherished status and talk to them about protecting their digital footprint. Center the conversation around their online persona to ensure success. Beyond that, let them know that what they share online stays online forever.
96 percent of teens are online daily, according to the Pew Research Center. Of those, nearly 50 percent say they are “constantly” online. There’s no doubt: Today’s youth are immersed in a digital world.
Unfortunately, headlines tout the worst aspects of life online for kids. We hear about predators, cyberbullying, and so on. As a result, the urge for parents to pull the plug on their child’s online life is understandable.
But that’s not realistic—social media and the internet are here to stay, so oftentimes it’s up to parents to be the first line of defense online for their children.
Teach children about their digital footprint
A digital footprint is the trail of where you’ve been online and what you’ve done there. Your public-facing digital footprint can include your social media posts, blog posts, photos, comments, likes, reviews, gaming statistics, chats, and more.
Digital footprints stretch years into the past because once something has been posted online, it’s there to stay. Even if the material is deleted, others may have forwarded it, screenshot it, or otherwise kept the content in rotation.
What is “sharenting”?
When parents post content about their children online, it’s called “sharenting.” Barclays reported to the BBC that parental over-sharing online will contribute to an estimated 7.4 million incidents of identity theft per year by 2030.
Hyeyoung Lim, a criminologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, warns parents to only share posts that feature their children with known friends and family. Further, she says, be careful not to publish images that include school logos or location telltales. Images of a child’s palm or kids in any state of undress should also remain private.
Lim challenges parents to ask themselves if content will endanger or embarrass a child in the years to come. In other words, will it contribute negatively to their digital footprint? If the answer is yes, consider skipping the share.
Talk about a child’s online reputation
Digital footprints create a person’s online persona and reflect their digital personality. If someone posts drunken party photos or trolls others, the online image they portray may be negative. Because schools, peers, family, and future employers are all online, that online reputation casts a bad light on the person’s offline reputation.
Netsmartz, an educational initiative from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, advises parents to talk to kids about their online reputations rather than speaking about their “digital footprint.” Why? First, “digital footprint” comes off as tech jargon, and second, putting children in a position to curate their online identity empowers them.
The lesson parents should impart: Just like an offline reputation should be protected, so should an online one.
Warn children about the dangers of being online
NetSmartz also says parents should be upfront about the potential for danger online. Specifically, its literature mentions kidnapping, identity theft, online scams, grooming and online enticement, sextortion, stalking, and cyberbullying. To defend against these threats, children should be told not to share the following online:
Passwords
Personal information (about their family, school, home address, phone number, email address)
Travel plans
Telling or revealing photos
In an ideal world, children should only communicate with people or friend users they know offline.
How to protect a child’s digital footprint
Before a child can be set loose online, just like in the real world, parents should lay out their expectations and rules. Some starter guidelines may include:
Set boundaries about what sites, apps, and social accounts they can visit and use.
Put time caps on how much screen time they can have.
Create online accounts with them and always retain access.
Set parental controls and privacy settings to your liking.
Keep track of account passwords.
Use your email address and phone number for account verification purposes.
Make it a routine to review their online activity and posts.
Set a Google alert for their name.
Keep devices out of their bedrooms.
Charge devices in a common area.
Use a parental control monitoring app
Monitoring a child’s digital activity is a daunting prospect. Monitoring apps and devices can lend a helping hand.
For example, select Allstate Identity Protection plans include family digital safety tools, powered by Bark. Though they are not fail-safe options, these can alert you to red flags related to your child’s online presence and behavior.
Bark also makes headlines for its phone, which is centered around child safety. (In fact, Time named the Bark phone one of the best inventions of 2023.) Among other safety features, the Android phone features an algorithm that monitors texts and social media posts. Parents receive warnings if incoming or outgoing content reflects a problem, like cyberbullying.
Stay up to date on the latest parental control safety measures
Several groups put out great guides showing parents and caretakers how to navigate tech with child safety in mind. Loaded with talking tips and takeaways, the material gives solid advice.
The Child Rescue Coalition: Read their e-booklet, C.R.A.M.: A Parent’s Guide to Managing Kids and Technology. The authors even walk you through setting up parental controls for gaming sites like Roblox.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: Visit NetSmartz, the group’s online resource library of tipsheets and presentations focusing on kids' online safety.
Federal Trade Commission: Check out their “Protecting Kids Online” hub for articles on gaming, social media, cell phones, and more. Download the guide “Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids About Being Online.”
Beyond these practical steps and resources, we can give you an extra layer of defense with our family plans. With our comprehensive identity protection services and features, you can breathe a little easier knowing experts are keeping an eye out for potential threats to your child's identity.