As technology becomes increasingly embedded in our everyday life, it’s evidently become more important for parents to understand how to protect children online. We’ve put together a quick guide for parents to help protect your children from online dangers and allow them to learn how to use the internet safely. In particular, we’re turning focus on making devices more child-safe.
According to data from Cyber Safe Kids, in Ireland, smart device ownership reaches almost 100% by the age of 13. Even in school, more and more classwork or homework is reliant on online research tools and apps to complete. As a result, it may seem like you have no choice but to provide a device for your child. However, parents do have options, from eschewing screens and smartphones outside of school for kids entirely, to choosing more restricted or age-appropriate devices or using built-in parental controls that create a safer, more manageable digital environment. If tech is part of children’s lives, the goal should be making it as safe and age-appropriate as possible.
While access to the internet comes with countless opportunities, the risks of the digital world for children are plentiful too. They range from viewing inappropriate content, being groomed or exploited and abused by predators, harassment or bullying, even extending into physical risks such as eyestrain and poor posture. This is not to mention potential links to long-term mental health issues such as low self-esteem, depression or anxiety. As a result, it’s vital to encourage our children’s healthy development by instilling an understanding of healthy online behaviour and self-control. Of utmost importance is an understanding of protecting their personal information, preventing them from meeting or engaging with strangers and encouraging open communication with parents and guardians. A priority should be the development of a balanced life, full too of physical activity and offline connections.
Start with the positive:
Recognise that being online is a great way for kids to stay connected with friends and family, play games, learn and have fun. Acknowledging these benefits allows you to see things through their eyes and keep conversations balanced and open, rather than fear-based.
Choose your timing:
Try to start the conversation at a calm moment, when everyone is relaxed so that the discussion doesn’t feel like a confrontation. This can be during a car journey, a walk, or during a shared activity, or at a time where your child seems open to chatting.
Ask about their experience:
Open questions help children talk more freely about what they’re doing online and how they feel about it too. These can look something like:
- How do you decide who to talk to or accept as a friend online?
- Has anything ever happened online that made you feel uncomfortable?
- How do you decide what’s okay to post or send to someone?
- If something made you feel uncomfortable online, who would you feel comfortable talking to about it?
It’s important to approach these conversations without judgement. Your child should be absolutely certain that they can come to you without fear of being punished or having their device taken away.
Use age-appropriate resources:
Younger kids may benefit from simple explanations, short videos or stories about online safety, while older kids and teens probably would respond positively to real-life examples, or online safety guides aimed at teenagers. Webwise and CyberSafeKids are just two of the platforms offering excellent resources. Many social platforms also offer dedicated information for parents on child safety.
Encourage regular check-ins/everyday life:
Making online safety a part of everyday life prevents the anxiety of a one-off “big talk” for both parents and kids. Asking casual questions about new games, apps, trends or friends and showing interest rather than policing their activity helps build trust and keeps the conversation ongoing.
Every device, whether it’s an iPhone, Android, Windows laptop or Chromebook, comes with built-in parental controls. These can help you manage screen time, filter content, approve downloads and protect your child’s privacy. Here are the official guides for each operating system to help you set up things quickly and confidently:
- Apple (iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, etc)
- Google Family (Android / Chromebook and other Google OS devices)
- Windows (desktops, laptops, tablets, mixed reality headsets, etc)
Children may sometimes be encouraged by friends or peers to share usernames or move to other social media platforms or apps. It’s important to guide them to check with you before joining new platforms, because not every app has the same protections, parental controls, or moderation as the ones they already use.
Without these safeguards, children can be more exposed to strangers or predators, access inappropriate content more easily, and face higher online risks. Encouraging them to stay on protected platforms helps keep their digital space safe, age-appropriate, and easier for parents to monitor.
A child account gives a parent far more control and visibility than a regular profile. It allows you to set age-appropriate content limits, approve downloads, manage screen time, block in-app purchases, restrict communication with strangers and access built-in safety features that aren’t available on standard accounts. Most importantly, it helps create a safer, more structured digital environment for children, where they can learn and play while you stay informed and in control.
Examples- Instagram: Use Supervised Accounts to manage who they follow, set time limits, and see who interacts with them. Ensure accounts are set to private and messaging is limited to approved followers. More information here.
- TikTok: Enable Family Pairing to control screen time, limit direct messages, set content filters, and manage who can view or comment on their posts. More information here.
- Fortnite: Use the in-game Parental Controls to manage chat, friend requests, mature content, and playtime limits. Consider disabling voice chat unless strictly needed. More information here.
- Roblox: Enable account PINs, restrict chat to friends only or turn it off, set age-based content filters, and monitor which games or experiences they’re accessing. More information here and here.
Why it matters:
Children explore quickly and fearlessly. They often outpace their parents in their knowledge of the contemporary digital universe. It’s easy to forget they are still kids and so can stumble into inappropriate apps, accidentally make purchases, or share personal information without realising the risks. Simple restrictions prevent unexpected expenses, protect privacy, and create calmer, more age-appropriate experiences. This is less “locking down” the device, and more setting gentle guardrails so kids can learn safely and with confidence.
How / Where to Set Restrictions:
- App Downloads:
Most devices will allow you to require approval before any new app is installed. On Apple, Microsoft and Android devices, this is built into existing parental control dashboards, i.e Family Sharing, Family Link or Microsoft Family Safety.
- In-App Purchases:
These can add up very quickly, even by accident. You can disable purchases entirely or require a PIN/password for every purchase. This helps to prevent surprise charges from games or apps that encourage children to buy extras.
- Screen Time:
Screen Time restrictions help to create healthy routines. You can set daily limits, block the devices at bedtime, and choose “downtime” hours where only essential apps work. This is especially helpful for times when kids are in school or doing homework. These features promote moderation rather than impose punishment.
- Location Sharing:
MANY apps request location access automatically. A lot more than you would expect, or that would seem necessary. For kids, it’s always safest to turn off location services for all apps unless there’s a specific and expressed need (such as maps or school related tools). This prevents apps or strangers from knowing where your child is.
A moment for Roblox. Roblox is enormously popular because it’s creative, social and made of user-made games. But as the news has reported quite extensively recently, not everything on the platform is suitable for every child. A few small steps make a big difference:
- Use Roblox’s Parental Controls & Account PIN:
This allows you to limit certain games, block VR games, and lock privacy settings so children can’t change them.
- Adjust chat settings:
You can turn off chat entirely or set it to “friends only.” This reduces the likelihood of strangers interacting with your child.
- Keep an eye on the games they play:
Some experiences may contain fantasy violence, scary themes, or older players. A quick glance at the titles they join helps you stay aware.
- Talk about online interactions:
Explain why they should never click on unknown links, accept friend requests from strangers, or share personal details, even if someone seems “nice.”
- Cross-platform caution:
As mentioned earlier, children are sometimes encouraged to move to other apps or share usernames. This is reported frequently on Roblox and can be a red flag in terms of attempted grooming or exploitation. Remind them to check with you first.
- Encourage them to come to you if something feels off:
Let them know they won’t get in trouble. You’re always there to help, not to judge.
Device Basics
- Create a separate child account/profile
- Set screen time limits
- Enable automatic updates
- Install antivirus/security apps (if needed)
- Turn off location sharing by default
App & Content Controls
- Restrict app downloads & in-app purchases
- Enable age-appropriate content filters
- Block or limit social media apps for under-16s
- Set safe search on Google & YouTube
Privacy & Communication
- Disable access to sensitive personal info
- Restrict messaging with strangers
- Turn off public profiles where possible
- Teach children not to share location, school, or personal photos
Online Behaviour & Awareness
- Talk about safe online behaviour
- Explain risks of strangers, scams, and inappropriate content
- Encourage “pause before you post” habit
- Remind them to report anything uncomfortable
Support & Reporting
- Bookmark child safety resources / hotlines
- Show how to report harmful content to platforms
- Keep open lines of communication
If something online worries you or your child, you can always reach out to the Irish Internet Hotline to report harmful content and get support.