Digital wellbeing

Starter tips to manage digital wellbeing

Get advice to help children develop critical thinking, self control and coping strategies to deal with online risks.

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4 steps to manage children’s digital wellbeing

Step 1 - Understanding the online risks

Help children get to grips with the types of risks they might be exposed to based on the website, apps and devices they use. For example, if they’re on social media having a conversation about issues around managing relationship online, cyberbullying and sexting will help them to know what to look out for and take appropriate action.

Step 2 - Knowing where to go for help

Equip your child with the knowledge of where to get support. Whether it’s a helpline like Childline, reporting tools on apps or a supportive network of friends and family, it’s important they know that if they can’t talk to you about something there are a number of places that can support them.

Step 3 - Learning from experiences

Encourage children to explore the digital world in an age-appropriate way, so they can learn to manage challenges and develop good judgement. It is not possible to teach them self-control, risk management or how to take advantage of online opportunities if they are not given the chance to practice online.

Step 4 - Recovering from experiences with the right support

Even with the best intentions there may be times that children are affected by something they experience online. To support them assess the situation and find ways to deal with it together. Depending on the situation seek advice from specialist organisations or your GP to give them the best chance to recover and regain their confidence.

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More to explore

See related advice and practical tips to support children online:

On site links

Parental Controls

Pre-teen (11-13) online safety advice

Teens ( 14+) online safety advice

Digital Resilience Toolkit

Related Web Links