Socialising safely online

Internet Matters Team | December 5th, 2020

We work collaboratively across industry, government and with schools to reach UK families with tools, tips and resources to help children benefit from connected technology smartly and safely.

Two little kids on their devices

Connecting and sharing online is a given as it offers access to the digital world at the touch of a button. And with 47% of 3-10-year-olds owning a mobile*, it’s important to stay on top of who and what they do when they are socialising online. Below we have recommended fun and child-friendly online-related social activities for under 12s.

Online social activities

Here are some social activities your family can do to keep your kids entertained and not feel as if they’re missing out!

Do art together. Why not let your kids FaceTime their friends? And at the same time, have both follow a drawing tutorial or challenge? You can find some drawing tutorials/challenges here and here.
Play Heads Up! Like charades, it’s an interactive app that can be downloaded by both parties. Players hold their phone up to their forehead, and the others give clues to help them guess from various categories.
Social games and apps – there are many gaming apps and platforms for kids, such as Roblox. For more recommendations, check out our Top video games that children want to play article.
Have a virtual hang out or party! You can use Zoom, FaceTime, Google Meet or Houseparty, just to name a few.
Have a watch party! With watch parties, you can watch movies or shows online while chatting with friends and family all at the same time. Stuck on what to watch? Take a look at our recommended watch picks.
Allow social media socialising. With screen time more likely to increase, it’s important to realise kid’s screen time will increase, although it’s not necessarily a bad thing, ensure your child has a balanced digital diet. Additionally, we strongly recommend keeping an eye on who and what they engage with.

Online safety tips

Talk to your kids about what they do online – do you know what they are doing online? Ask them who they interact with online and always mention for them to not to accept friend requests from strangers.
If you are video-calling, ensure you either review or set up privacy and security settings on the device beforehand. Check out our parental controls where you’ll find various settings for different platforms, apps and devices.
Teach them to limit what they share, i.e., their personal details such as their full name, school, address, family/friend information, etc. Use a safe screen name.
Ensure yourself and your kids know how to block, mute or report on different platforms.
Remind kids that once they post something online, they can’t take it back. Even if the info is deleted from a site, you have little to no control over older versions that may exist on other people’s computers and may circulate online.
Review your kids’ friends’ lists regularly – you may want to limit their friends’ list to only people you/they know
Create a digital agreement to set some digital rules about tech use in and out of the home.