Archives - Child Online Safety Tips

Back-to-school scams are surging: How families can protect themselves from cybercriminals this school year

Back-to-school season means shopping for supplies, paying activity fees, setting up student accounts, and helping kids prepare for a new year. Unfortunately, it also marks one of the busiest times of year for scammers. Cybercriminals know that parents are rushing, students are distracted, and schools are sending a flood of legitimate emails and messages. That […]

Don’t use your real name in online gaming to protect your identity

Online gaming is supposed to be fun, social, and competitive. But your gaming profile can also reveal personal information if you use your real name, a familiar nickname, your birth year, your school name, your town, or a profile picture that clearly connects back to your offline identity. A safer approach is simple: use a […]

Set child computer safety rules to help kids build safer online habits

Kids learn fast online. They can stream videos, play games, message friends, search for homework help, download apps, and explore new websites in minutes. That freedom can be great, but it also comes with risks. A clear set of computer safety rules helps children understand what they can do, what they should avoid, and when […]

Talk to your child about in-game currency before the next accidental purchase

Online games make it easy for kids to play, compete, customize characters, and unlock new items. Many games also make it very easy to spend real money through premium currency, battle passes, loot boxes, skins, upgrades, and limited-time offers. Before your child starts a new game, have one simple conversation: some game money is pretend, […]

How to report harassment and spam while gaming online to stay safer

Online gaming should be fun, competitive, and social—not a place where harassment, spam, scams, or abusive messages ruin the experience. Whether you’re playing on console, PC, or mobile, reporting bad behavior helps protect you and improves the gaming community for everyone. Why reporting harassment in games matters Harassment in online games is more common than […]

Why you should enable parental controls on game consoles before your child starts playing

Game console parental controls do a lot more than block mature content. They also help you manage screen time, reduce unwanted online interactions, and — this part often gets overlooked — protect your payment information from accidental or impulsive purchases. On modern consoles, those controls are built right into the settings menu, and they’re worth […]