The university of tulsa Online Blog

Children are spending a tremendous amount of time in front of screens. According to the 2025 Common Sense Census by Common Sense Media (a nonprofit organization focused on media and children), the time children spend looking at their screens each day, on average, is:

• Under age 2: 1 hour, 3 minutes
• Ages 2 to 4: 2 hours, 8 minutes
• Ages 5 to 8: 3 hours, 28 minutes

When children spend this much time anywhere, ensuring that caregivers have the tools to keep kids safe online is critical. But interacting with the world online poses several unique dangers. Adults in children’s and teens’ lives should know about the risks associated with online activity, as well as internet safety tips for protecting these young people from the dangers they face.

Online Risks: The Dangers of the Internet for Kids

While the web can be a positive and educational space for children, the dangers of the internet are all too real. The examples outlined below illustrate how young people can be at risk.

Conversation Starters: Communicating Online Can Be Unsafe

When young people interact with others online, or even when they are exposed to inappropriate content, a number of dangerous scenarios are possible. The United Nations notes that going online places children at risk of:

• Sexual abuse and exploitation. Sex offenders can use the internet to make contact with children, encourage them to commit crimes, and share inappropriate imagery with them.

• Cyberbullying. Using social media or instant messaging can subject young people to the risk of cyberbullying and other types of peer-to-peer abuse.

• Exposure to hate speech and violent content. Certain content can incite children and teens to harm themselves, and it can subject them to recruitment by extremist groups.

Spending Time Online Can Impair Kids’ Health

Spending too much time on the web can also compromise children’s health. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Healthy Children website notes that one of the dangers of the internet that parents may not consider is that when children overuse digital media, their health can suffer. For example, too much time online can increase the risk for:

• Obesity. Children who overuse digital media are less likely to take part in physical activity and healthy play, which can make them more likely to become obese.

• Poor sleep. Overstimulation from screens can cause children to fall asleep later, experience disruptions in their sleep, and get less sleep.

• Delays in development. When very young children have too much exposure to digital media, they have less interaction with people, which can result in delayed development.

• Behavioral problems and risky behaviors. Many dangers of the internet can spill over into daily life. Children exposed to violent content, risky or sexual behaviors, eating disorders, or substance abuse online may be more likely to experiment with those behaviors in their lives.

Online activity can also take a toll on children’s mental health. For example, an advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General outlines how social media can contribute to young people’s development:

• Anxiety

• Dissatisfaction with their bodies

• Depression

• Disordered eating

• Low self-esteem

Understanding what internet security is and how to take action to protect children is crucial. The advisory provides internet safety tips for caregivers, technology companies, policy makers, researchers, and children or adolescents, citing tools such as:

• Boundaries and time limits

• Technology-free zones

• Age limits for social media and technology 

• Increased security and protections

Going Online Can Subject Minors to Invasions of Their Privacy

Internet safety tips are often discussed in terms of privacy, because adolescents’ and children’s privacy rights are particularly vulnerable online. 

According to organizations like UNICEF, the rise of AI has made it even more difficult to keep kids safe online. With the ability to analyze children’s online choices, AI systems are able to shape kids’ internet consumption, feeding them different types of content through suggested videos, reading, and images.

In addition, the rise of AI is contributing to increased dangers on the internet when it comes to sexual exploitation, abuse, and fake images. Internet safety tips have never been more crucial for keeping kids safe online and for establishing boundaries and teaching kids about safe online use before they are exposed to danger. 

Safeguarding Through Laws and Regulations: Legal Protections for Children’s Privacy Rights

Adults can benefit by learning about relevant rules that can keep kids safe when they are online. Businesses are required to abide by a range of laws and regulations that have been instituted to protect children’s privacy rights. The following are some prominent examples.

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act

The U.S. Congress passed the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in 1998 with the goal of giving parents control over the information that businesses can collect online from children under the age of 13. COPPA requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to issue regulations regarding children’s online privacy. These regulations provide a number of online safety tips that adults can familiarize themselves with.

The FTC’s COPPA regulations apply to:

• Operators of commercial websites and online services that are specifically created for children under age 13 and that use, collect, or disclose children’s personal information

• Operators of general audience websites or online services that use, collect, or disclose the information of children under 13

• Websites or online services that collect personal information directly from users of other websites or online services that are created for children

The FTC’s regulations specify several important requirements designed to protect children’s information and privacy rights. For example, the regulations require covered operators to:

• Maintain the confidentiality, security, and integrity of children’s information

• Retain children’s personal information for only as long as is necessary and then delete that information

• Post privacy policies that describe their practices for the personal information they collect from children

• Not place conditions on children’s participation in an activity on their providing more information than is necessary to take part in that activity

• Provide parents with:

  • Direct notice before operators collect personal information from children online
  • The option to consent to the collection and internal use of children’s personal information while prohibiting operators from sharing that information with others
  • Access to their children’s personal information so that they can review it and request its deletion
  • The chance to block the use of or online collection of children’s personal information

Violations of the FTC’s regulations can subject covered operators to civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation.

State Laws Regarding Children’s Online Privacy

Individuals seeking guidance or internet safety tips can also benefit from becoming familiar with relevant laws passed at the state level. The National Conference of State Legislatures notes that some states have passed laws specifically protecting children’s privacy online. For example:

• The state of California has passed a law that:

  • Enables minors to remove or request the removal of online information

  • Prohibits operators of websites and other online services created for minors from marketing to minors certain products or services that minors are not legally permitted to buy

  • Prohibits the marketing or advertising of certain products based on a minor’s personal information

• The state of Delaware has passed a law that:

  • Prohibits operators of websites or online services created for children from marketing or advertising products such as alcohol, pornography, tobacco, or firearms

  • Prohibits disclosing a child’s personally identifiable information if operators know that the information will be used for the purpose of marketing or advertising products such as alcohol, pornography, tobacco, or firearms

According to the Age Verification Providers Association, as of 2026, 17 states have made attempts to address children’s privacy rights and minors’ access to or treatment on social media. However, due to challenges in the legislative process, many of these laws are not currently enforceable. 

Keeping Kids Safe Online: The Websites and Apps Kids Use Most

Knowing where children are going on the internet can help keep kids safe online. Adults who are looking for advice on maintaining safety online need to become knowledgeable about the apps and online services that children use most often. According to the Pew Research Center, the top six social media tools that teenagers used in 2024, in order of popularity, were:

• YouTube

• TikTok

• Instagram

• Snapchat

• Facebook

• WhatsApp

Unfortunately, many of those services have been involved in high-profile cases related to users’ personal information and privacy, making it essential that users implement their own internet safety tips and take their online security seriously. For example:

• Facebook and Instagram. In 2023, the European Data Protection Board fined Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) its highest amount yet — 1.2 billion euros — for breach of privacy and transferring user data.  

• Snapchat. In 2022, Snapchat agreed to a $35 million settlement in a lawsuit that accused the company of violating Illinois’s law regarding privacy by collecting and storing biometric information without users’ informed consent. Data collection and breaches put both organizations and individuals at risk. Understanding when and how to protect or supply individual data is a key internet safety tip for kids and adults. 

• TikTok. In 2021, TikTok agreed to a $92 million settlement in a class action lawsuit that accused the company of collecting users’ personal information without consent and sharing it with third parties.

• Twitter. One of the many dangers of the internet is that even when large companies claim to protect data, many break these promises to profit from selling individuals’ information. In 2022, Twitter paid a $150 million penalty to settle the FTC’s allegations that Twitter had allowed advertisers to use account security data (users’ phone numbers and email addresses) for targeted advertising.

• YouTube. In 2022, France’s government imposed a $163 million fine on Google and its subsidiary YouTube for not sufficiently implementing a way for users to refuse all cookies.

Staying Abreast of COPPA Violations

One important internet safety tip is to stay up to date on known COPPA violations. Options include the following:

• The FTC publishes a list of all COPPA violation cases.

• Privo, a company that offers organizations services to manage minors’ online privacy, has compiled a list of what it considers e significant COPPA violations.

Safety Rules Checklist: Internet Safety Tips for Kids

To protect young people from the dangers of the internet, parents, guardians, educators, and other adults in children’s lives can consider the following internet safety tips for kids.

1. Be a Good Role Model

Children learn from watching adults in action, so to keep kids safe online, it’s helpful for adults to model the behavior they want children to follow. For example, parents can adhere to the same rules they set for their kids in areas such as:

• Prohibiting the use of screens during meals

• Spending time doing activities that don’t involve screens

• Limiting time on social media

Organizations like UNICEF provide helpful habits, tools, and guidance to keep kids safe online and protect children’s privacy rights. 

2. Talk to Kids About Online Safety

Making a point to talk to children about internet safety tips is also important. Specifically:

• Discussing some of the differences between safe and unsafe websites can be beneficial. For example, adults and children can discuss warning signs such as unusual pop-ups, the risks associated with clicking on suspicious links, and the difference between http and https.

• Talking about specific online habits is also key. For example, it’s important to discuss:
  • Never communicating with strangers on social media
  • Avoiding posting location information or even where a child goes to school
  • Taking time to think about information before posting it
  • The adequacy of the specific privacy settings on children’s social media accounts

3. Use Parental Controls

By learning about and implementing the parental controls available on the technology their children use, parents can mitigate many dangers of the internet by establishing guidelines, limiting the content their kids can see, and restricting purchases. For example, parental controls are available to:

• Block access to specific websites

• Filter web content

• Monitor children’s devices and online activity

• Track the location of children’s devices

ConnectSafely, a nonprofit organization focusing on online safety, offers a parental controls guide with detailed advice. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission provides consumer advice on implementing parental controls and talking to kids about boundaries, internet use, and parental control features. 

4. Establish Limits for Time Spent Online

Parents can take several actions to limit the time their children spend online. For instance, they can:

• Establish device usage limits 

• Set curfews for when children’s online activity must stop

• Encourage children to have playtime and participate in activities away from screens

• Establish “no-screen” times (for example, during meals or on particular days or evenings)

• Prohibit entertainment via screens during homework hours

• Use apps that limit the amount of time children can use their devices

The National Library of Medicine offers specific screen time guidelines for children. In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Healthy Children website offers detailed advice for developing a family media use plan.

5. Examine the Apps That Kids Want to Use

Another way parents can help keep their kids safe online is by reviewing the specific apps their children want to use before they download them. When examining the apps, parents can:

• Look at the app’s permissions to determine, for example, whether they ask for location information

• Read the ratings and reviews for an app, and research whether the app developers have any history of privacy violations

• Read the app’s privacy policies and terms of service

• Research the parental controls an app offers

Common Sense Media offers detailed reviews and recommendations for thousands of apps aimed at young people.

6. Take Advantage of Other Resources for Keeping Kids Safe Online

Adults who want to explore other resources that provide safety tips for the internet should consider the following:

• Ann Craft Trust and The Marie Collins Foundation, “Sexual Abuse Online: Helping My Autistic Child.” This publication offers advice for protecting children with autism spectrum disorder from online predators.

• Childnet, Resources for All. This UK-based nonprofit offers toolkits, lesson plans, activities, and videos for teachers, parents, and children.

• Google, Be Internet Awesome. Google’s site for kids helps teach online safety with information on privacy and AI, and features interactive games that help children practice safe interaction.

• National PTA, PTA Connected. The PTA Connected program offers parents a range of advice for parenting in a digital world.

• Netsmartz, Resources for Parents, Educators & Communities. These resources from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children include videos and PowerPoint presentations covering topics such as generative artificial intelligence and age-specific instruction for children, teens, and parents.

Ensuring That Children Can Thrive in a Safe Online Environment

Following guidance and internet safety tips to protect children online is one of the most important things adults can do. Ensuring that technology remains a positive and educational force in children’s lives can help them establish healthy and safe practices for navigating our increasingly digital world.