What are the top online threats for kids?

Nearly every parent worries about keeping their children safe online. New technologies emerge every day, from the latest version of the iPhone to new apps for social media, chat, and multimedia sharing. Today, more than 50% of U.S. children have a smartphone by age 11. For parents, it can be difficult to keep up with potential online threats. 

What the latest research tells us about online threats to kids

Sometimes, the internet really does feel like the Wild West. Yet, threat researchers and internet safety organizations regularly publish data to help parents get a grip on the most frequent problems that kids run into online. So, if you need to get up to speed, here are the top threats kids face today online: 

1. Connecting with strangers online

The same threats we were raised to avoid in the streets now face children online. According to research from The Center for Cyber Safety and Education, 40% of kids in grades 4-8 have chatted or connected with a stranger online. Of that 40%, the available data is sobering: 

• 53% gave their phone number to a stranger online
• 30% texted a stranger using their smartphone
• 15% tried to meet a stranger they had met online

2. Exposure to explicit content

Willingly or unwillingly, children will likely come across explicit, sexual, or otherwise inappropriate content online. This includes sexual imagery and pornography, violence, and hate speech. The problem is widespread, as our survey of recent research quickly revealed: 

• 20% of youth experience report unwanted online exposure to sexually explicit material (Journal of Adolescent Health)
• 21% of kids in grades 4-8 watch adult programs online, 62% went to an adult website after a search, and 31% lied about their age to access adult content (The Center for Cyber Safety and Education)

3. Cyberbullying

And then, of course, there’s name-calling. The statistics suggest that cyberbullying is on the rise. Beyond hurling ad hominems and disparaging remarks, cyberbullying includes psychological pressure, harassment, physical threats, and so on. It’s a major problem that can have damaging consequences. 

As the statistics indicate, cyberbullying is trending in the wrong direction:

• 59% of U.S. teens have been bullied, harassed, threatened or pressured online (Pew Research Center), while 63% believe cyberbullying is a “major problem”
• 30% of young people in 30 countries say they’ve been victimized by online bullying, while 20% report skipping school as a result (UNICEF)
• Cyberbullying is the #1 threat to kids in the classroom according to parents and teachers (Be Internet Awesome report from Google)

4. Sexual solicitation

While not as statistically prominent as some of the other online threats, sexual solicitation is still quite common and—in many ways—more acute in terms of potential repercussions. Ask any parent: sexual solicitation and online predators are high on the list of digital threats.

• One in nine youths experiences online sexual solicitation (Journal of Adolescent Health)
• 1 in 5 children who touch a computer will be sexually solicited online (Lauren’s Kids)

What you (and your kids) can do to minimize risk 

As pressing as these online threats are for kids and their parents, there are some effective strategies that can be used to protect against online threats.

Put the phone down

Whether you agree with its central premise or not, the film “The Social Dilemma” makes one thing clear: so many risks inherent to frequent internet usage can be avoided by simply putting the phone down. Otherwise known as “behavioral avoidance” of services, applications, and platforms, this strategy is premised on interacting with the device less. 

That could mean: 

• Disabling app notifications
• Refusing or choosing not to install apps or create accounts for new social networks
• Refraining from posting content, accepting connection requests, and so on
• Ignoring or muting direct communications from strangers
• Not taking the phone into the bathroom or bedroom

Don’t post personal content to social media

It’s one thing to have an account on, for example, Instagram, Facebook or TikTok. It’s another to post personal pictures, written content, and links. By self-monitoring, young people can avoid sharing sensitive information on their social network profiles or other online accounts, thus avoiding some of the risks that come along with posting intimate content and communicating with people they don’t know personally.

You don’t have to post just because you have an account. (Of course, asking kids to abstain from posting to social media might be asking a lot.)

Take “instrumental action”

Instrumental action is an umbrella term for device-level interventions, such as installing protective software or changing profile settings. Again, asking kids to do this on their own probably isn’t realistic. However, parents can certainly take it upon themselves, even if they lack technical expertise. 

Here are two action items that we recommend: 

• Review the settings for all of the apps installed on a child’s phone, including notifications, sensitive content filters, privacy and location services, and so on.
• Install a cybersecurity app capable of monitoring apps, preventing intrusions, and enforcing usage limits. For instance, ESET Internet Security includes ESET Parental Control for Android.

In closing: It’s time to get educated

As parents ourselves, we understand how difficult it is to keep up and compel children to self-monitor online. If it weren’t an uphill battle, we wouldn’t be talking about it! But we do think staying ahead of the curve is possible. It just means getting educated in a few important areas: 

• Stay on top of internet security best practices, including how to keep devices and accounts secure, as well as how to minimize risk on the web. Read our internet security tips for middle school and high school students for more info.
• Know what your children are up to, including social media activity (check visible accounts and so-called “burner” accounts), usage habits and web history. While you can certainly monitor these things using parental control software, we’ve found that a frank conversation is usually the best starting point. 
• Set a good example. Most of us use our smartphones every day. Not only do our children see us using our devices in person, they can likely track down our activity on social media and other platforms.

Which brings us to our final point. Despite the volume of threats facing kids online today—despite each new social media app, smartphone version and internet technology—parents still serve as the lighthouse for what is right and wrong. To that end, the best thing parents can do is begin the conversation so that the journey toward safer online conversations is shared, not dictated.