| Risk or control | What it means for a child | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Anonymous contacts | The NYC Department of Education calls online predators a significant threat, particularly to children, because anonymity lets people misrepresent themselves. The threat grows with email, instant messaging, chat rooms and social networks. | Decide who may message the child before approving any chat or social app. |
| Mixed-age games | A younger child playing with older teens could be bullied or exposed to inappropriate behaviour. | Check who can join a game session and keep play where an adult can see it. |
| Online shopping | Online fraud is described as rampant, and kids and teens can be tricked more easily than adults. | Supervise purchases strictly, whatever the child’s age. |
| Network-level controls | Set on the hub or router and applied to all devices connected to it. | Use as a household baseline. |
| Device-level and app-level controls | Device controls apply however and wherever the device connects. App controls are set inside the platform in use, such as Google or YouTube settings. | Add these on the child’s own device and in the apps used most. |
The table draws on the NYC Department of Education’s guidance on keeping children safe online and on Protect Us Kids’ advice for parents.
Internet safety for kids works best when supervision, privacy settings and open conversation all match the child’s age, knowledge and maturity. No single filter replaces regular talk with your child.
Fraudulent messages are a common way in, so how to spot a phishing email is worth reading alongside this guide, especially if a family member relies on a screen reader or other assistive technology.
Risks and their practical consequences
The main online risks for children are contact from people who hide who they are, bullying, grooming, sextortion and fraud. Each one shows up through a channel you can control: who can message the child, which games they join and what they can buy.
The Beau Biden Foundation’s tip sheet for parents and guardians names cyberbullying, grooming and sextortion as threats adults should be ready to respond to. It lists grooming, sexting and cyberbullying as key terms every adult should know. Learning those words first makes it easier to understand what a child describes and to ask sensible questions.
- Contact risk: Chat and messaging are where a stranger’s claims about who they are cannot be checked. Approve new contacts deliberately rather than leaving messaging open by default.
- Bullying risk: It can come from peers or from older players in shared games. For recognising the signs and responding in detail, see What Is Cyberbullying? A Clear Guide To Recognition, Impact, And Response In 2026 – Internetbuttons.
- Fraud risk: Children are easier to trick, so a purchase flow or an offer that looks harmless to them can be a scam. Keep payment methods out of reach or behind a parental approval step.
The practical consequence is that the riskiest features, not the device itself, deserve the most attention. A child with a phone and no messaging apps faces a very different set of risks from one with open chat, so decide on features before you decide on hardware.
Rules that match age and maturity
Rules should fit the child’s age, knowledge and maturity, according to the NYC Department of Education. That means the rule set changes as the child grows, and a single household rule applied to every child will be too tight for some and too loose for others.
- Young children: Protect Us Kids states that adult supervision is necessary when young kids use the internet. Keep devices in shared rooms, approve apps yourself and treat early use as something you do together.
- Children in between: Be aware of what your child does on the computer, including which websites they visit, and who they are in contact with by email or chat. Allow more independence in approved apps while keeping contacts visible to you.
- Teenagers: Protect Us Kids says teenagers will certainly have more privacy, but it is still important to keep communication open. Step back from checking everything, and keep talking about contacts, content and anything that feels wrong.
Explain the reason behind each rule, because a child who understands it is more likely to follow it when you are not in the room. Revisit the rules as the child’s maturity and the apps they use change. Habits that protect privacy over a lifetime, rather than just during childhood, are covered in Protect Your Digital Footprint: A Practical 2026 Guide To Staying Private Online – Internetbuttons.
Parental controls: network, device and app
Parental controls work at three levels, and the level you pick decides what is protected and when. Used together, they cover each other’s gaps.
Network level
The NYC Department of Education describes network-level controls as set on the hub or router and applied to all devices connected to it. They suit a household with several children and devices, because one change reaches everything on that network.
Device level
Device-level controls are set on the device itself, such as a smartphone, and apply regardless of how and where it connects to the internet. Choose these for any device the child carries outside the home.
Application level
Application controls are set on the platform in use, for example Google or YouTube settings. They are the place to tune what a child can see or do inside a specific service. Most operating systems also let you create a different user account for each person, which limits a child’s access and privileges without restricting an adult’s use of the same computer.
An older Rasmussen College guide to internet safety for kids described built-in Apple restrictions under general settings, which can prevent downloads of costly apps, deleting apps and access to sites with adult content. It also described Android accounts for children that restrict access to sites and purchases, plus family apps such as MMGuardian, Norton Family Premier and Qustodio. Menu names and features change between software versions, so treat those as pointers and check the current options on your own device.
Assistive technology: choosing controls that work for everyone
The best parental control for a disabled child or parent is the one that person can actually operate. A setting that is hard to reach with a screen reader, magnification, voice control or switch access will not stay configured for long.
- Pick the level you can operate. Router, device and app controls each have different interfaces. If one is awkward with your assistive technology, rely more on another level.
- Use the router for broad coverage. Network-level controls apply to every connected device, which can save repeated trips through many settings screens.
- Give each person an account. Separate user accounts let a parent set restrictions once for a child, and the child keeps their own accessibility preferences within their account.
- Test before relying on it. Complete the change yourself using the same assistive tools the family uses, and confirm that you can also reverse it.
- Make reporting easy. The NYC Department of Education advises letting your child know they can bring any questions or concerns to you. Agree a way of telling you that suits how the child communicates, so a hard-to-use report button is never the only route.
A parent who uses assistive technology can follow the same plan. Choose the controls whose menus work for you, and ask another trusted adult or a school technology contact to help with any step that does not.
After a scam or cyberbullying incident
Respond calmly and listen first, because a child who is blamed or punished is less likely to tell you next time. Make it clear that your child can bring worries or questions to you, a point the NYC Department of Education also makes.
- Expect and welcome reports. Protect Us Kids says children must immediately report cyberbullying or inappropriate contact to a parent. Tell them that reporting is the right move, whatever has happened.
- Keep the evidence. Keep the messages and account details rather than deleting them, then stop contact with the sender or scammer.
- Get urgent help for exploitation. In the United States, Protect Us Kids points families who need urgent help to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CyberTipline.
- Tighten the setup afterwards. Review who can contact the child, purchasing permissions and app settings so the same route is closed.
Frequently asked questions
Should a child share my computer account?
No. The NYC Department of Education notes that most operating systems let you create a different user account for each user, which lets you limit the child’s access and privileges.
Why set social accounts to private?
A private account means only approved friends can view the child’s content, according to the Rasmussen College guide. Approve only people the child knows.
What should children avoid posting online?
Protect Us Kids says children must not post personal information, photos, or details such as a phone number and address.