Practical tips and resources to help you navigate your young person’s online experience.
By the age of 12, every single Aussie child will be online (Bravehearts 2023).
In today’s tech-driven era, kids and teens navigate a world shaped mainly by digital devices – it’s how they communicate, learn, and engage. Many cannot even imagine a reality without instant access to information, entertainment, and social connections.
The online world has many benefits. It’s where kids and teens play, socialise, create, and unlock new ways of learning, but it also comes with risks. According to a recent eSafety report, 84 per cent of parents are aware of their child having a negative online experience. In the ever-changing online world, we know that staying on top of how young people interact in the digital space – social media or online gaming – can be overwhelming.
To help you protect your child and teens online, we are providing tips, advice, and resources so that you feel well-equipped to help the young people in your life have a positive online experience.
If things get really serious with your child’s online safety, please get in touch with the eSafety Commissioner to report abuse, receive advice and browse their extensive online resources.
81%
of teens say that social media has a positive influence on their lives (2024 UNICEF Australia Report).
14.4hrs
on average each week is spent online by teens aged 15 to 17 (eSafety Commissioner (2021), The Digital Lives of Aussie teens).
Online safety challenges
How to keep young people safe online
1. Set clear ground rules
Have open and honest conversations to establish the rules on how, when and where they use their devices – and be consistent.
2. Use technology to protect them
Check that your child’s device is always updated and running the latest software and that privacy settings are on and configured to minimise data collection and sharing.
3. Keep personal information private
Talk to your child about why it's important to not share personal information when online like their name, location, where they go to school and participate in after school activities.
4. Proactively engage and listen
It’s important your teen knows that you are there for them - check-in with them regularly, make sure you listen without judgement, and help ensure they connect with people positively.
5. Model healthy online habits
Be mindful of the example you set and encourage your child to be kind online and to support friends and family by sending positive messages or emojis.
6. Let them have fun and express themselves
Spending time online can be a great opportunity for your children to be creative, learn, use their voice to share their views, and support causes that are important to them.
Creating a safe online gaming environment
Online gaming is more popular than ever and offers many benefits. Still, it does come with some risks like cyberbullying, teens talking to people they don’t know, addiction and exposure to harmful content. You can safeguard your child and teen by;
- Setting up gaming consoles in open family areas.
- Installing up-to-date security software.
- Playing the games alongside them.
- Teaching your young person not to click on links from strangers or share personal information.
- Using strategies like timers to limit online time or setting rules around when they can play.
- Activating parental controls. See below parental control information for the most popular gaming devices and platforms.
- Agreeing on suitable, age-appropriate games and connecting your email to gaming accounts so you can be kept across new game downloads. Common Sense Media is a great tool to check if a game is age-appropriate for your child.
Sign up to learn more about online safety and other areas of UNICEF Australia’s work.
UNICEF Youth – Staying safe online
Discover a space for young people to learn about the ever-changing online world, knowing their rights, protecting their privacy, staying safe and being a good friend online.
Resources for parents and teachers
Protecting children in the online world by reshaping the digital world for Aussie kids.
DownloadOnline safety advice for your family.
eSafety CommissionerSupporting families to build essential digital skills to reduce their risk of exposure to online harm and empower them to successfully and safely navigate the digital world.
DigiTalk ResourcesSupporting young people to take action on issues of (cyber)bullying, hate and prejudice within their communities.
Learn more