Santa brought a smartphone? Safety tips for parents

So your child got a smartphone for Christmas? Now it's time to talk.

Smartphones are essentially small computers, and internet access can expose your child to a world of dangers. It's important to have conversations with your child about internet safety and to consider setting boundaries and restrictions on their new phone, just like any digital device.

In general, parents and guardians should consider these five safety tips, depending on the individual child and their age: 

• Setting boundaries for phone usage, including screen-time limits or “blackout” periods and restricting what sites they can visit and where they can use their phone. 
• Using parental control apps to see what sites and apps their child is accessing on their smartphone, tablet or computer. They can also show how much time they’re spending on these devices.
  
• Reviewing apps before they’re downloaded, making sure to understand their capabilities and approve their content.
  
• Establishing smart security, which includes fingerprint scans, facial recognition and password locks. A GPS-enabled smartphone is great when using maps, but it can reveal a child’s location through online posts and uploaded photos and should be disabled when a child posts anything online.
• Talking to your kids. Regular conversations about internet safety can go a long way in increasing trust and open communication.

“Any time a parent gives a new device to their children, it’s an important opportunity to have a conversation about the rules and expectations for the child when they use the device,” said Susan Kennedy, who oversees prevention efforts here at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). “This conversation should include things like where the child can use the device, how their usage will be monitored by parents, what things require parental permission as well as open conversations about healthy and safe behaviors online and concerning or ‘red flag’ behaviors that a child may encounter online.”

It's critical that parents and guardians understand the risks children face on the internet, including cyberbullying, sexting and online enticement. Our website is a good place to start at www.missingkids.org. As the nation’s largest and most influential child protection organization, NCMEC operates the nation’s CyberTipline and has a unique lens to witness emerging crimes against children on the internet, most recently financial sextortion.

If your child is sexually exploited online, NCMEC is here to help. Immediately make a report to us at www.cybertipline.org. We can also help remove explicit images from digital devices at www.takeitdown.ncmec.org. For age-appropriate tips about online safety, go to https://www.missingkids.org/netsmartz/home.