4 Top Tips to Improve Online Safety for Kids

The way that technology has enabled the sharing of information and ideas from around the world has opened up a world of possibility for young learners. Access to images and information from every corner of the globe is just a click away. Communicating with people living in those corners happens in a matter of seconds. But with this opportunity comes caution, at the forefront of which is online safety for kids.  

When it comes to kids’ online safety, concerns go further than controlling the people, information, and sites they have access to on digital platforms. The increase in fake, overtly biased, and partisan information online means that users have to consider an entirely different level of online safety: the veracity of the information they consume.  

If young learners don’t have the sufficient media literacy education to access and explore the wealth of information digital platforms provide, they can be easily fooled or struggle to understand how best to express their own views. 

Learning platforms, parents, teachers and young learners can all do their part in avoiding these pitfalls. Here are our top tips for starting to teach kids media literacy online. 

Teach Young Learners to Ask ‘Why’? 

We’re all creatures of habit and even if we think of ourselves as openminded, we’re drawn to the familiar. These same rules apply for young learners online. They will flock to familiar points of view and people who share the perspective they already hold. This familiarity can breed complacency when it comes to questioning the veracity and bias of the ideas and information we consume.  

Spend time together online with your child and question the things that you learn. 

• Who is writing this information?
• Do they have the authority to write on this subject and do they include different perspectives?
• What other sides of that story might exist and where could you find it?
• Does the information provide a balanced argument?
• If not, why might that be the case? 

Getting used to asking ‘why’ someone might have presented information in a certain way is a skill that your kids will value for a lifetime. Download our free template for creating a balanced argument here and practice at home. 

Download our free template for creating a balanced argument and practice at home. 

Encourage Variety Without Forcing It 

Personalisation of online information can further a tendency to question it. Facebook populates your feed with friends with similar interests. But personalisation, and a focus on something that already interests your child, can be a way of getting them to see things from different perspectives. 

Someone with an interest in how his family recycles might be drawn to a story about how a tiny island in the Indian Ocean is dealing with its plastic waste. A young learner that loves space might be interested to hear how other countries’ space innovation differs from their own. Understanding that not everyone approaches challenges or innovation in the same way will lead to an appreciation of diversity both online and off. 

Read our recent blog about how to raise global citizens

Lead By Example 

Global Competence, as a concept, involves young people having the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that allow them to succeed in an increasingly globalised society. 

Cultivating a young person’s Global Competence can help them to better understand the world they live in and their place in it. In doing so, they are more likely to responsibly express their voice online and appreciate different outlooks and approaches.  

Lead by example at home and show a willingness to cook and eat different foods. Show an eagerness to understand or celebrate different customs. Whether it be through a snack, a meal, or even a song you listen to in the car, coming together as a family to appreciate and learn about customs around the world is a great start to learning Global Competence. 

Give Kids Control Over What & How They Learn 

Now this might seem like a big no-no when it comes to the internet, but when accessed safely and effectively, it can be a wonderful and empowering learning tool for young people. An infinite wealth of information, and a wide variety of ways to access it, give your kids greater control over what they learn and how they learn it.  

Start kids learning about a subject offline and then allow them to explore it further on the internet. It could be a search for a video of a Songkran celebration (Thailand’s annual water festival), a vivid written description of an icequake in Alaska, or a digital pen pal interaction with a pupil from Japan; the digital world provides numerous mediums for user to explore the best way for them to consume information.  

When online safety for kids is prioritised by the people and platforms through which this information is accessed, the possibilities are endless.  

A tendency towards questioning sources, biases, and opinions is one of the most important skills that young learners can develop. And it can be really fun too.