Online Safety by Age

Online safety advice that treats a 4 year old and a 16 year old the same is not much use. What your child does online, what can go wrong, and what you should focus on all change as they grow. Here is a practical run through the main age bands, drawn from guidance by eSafety, Internet Matters, Common Sense Media, and CEOP's Thinkuknow.

Under 5

Little ones are mostly watching video, on YouTube Kids, Disney+, and Netflix, and tapping through simple apps. The main risks are stumbling onto content that is not meant for them, accidental in-app purchases, and too much fast-paced screen time. Australia's eSafety Commissioner is blunt that supervision is the most effective tool at this age. Keep devices in shared spaces, sit with your child while they use them, and set passwords so they can only use devices with you.

UK guidance suggests avoiding screens for under-2s apart from things like video calls, and aiming for around an hour a day or less for ages 2 to 5. Internet Matters adds a specific warning for this age: be cautious with AI toys, chatbots, and smart speakers, since the developmental effects are not yet well understood, and never hand over an unlocked adult phone, even briefly.

Ages 6 to 9

Now children are gaming and socializing inside games like Roblox, plus watching lots of YouTube. Internet Matters flags the main risks as screen-time battles, cyberbullying, and contact from strangers inside games and chat. This is the age to set restrictions in app stores and consoles, turn on spending limits with a PIN, and for younger children consider turning off open messaging features entirely.

Common Sense Media suggests going over the basics: do not share your name, address, or passwords, and stay on approved sites. Keep the tone practical and calm. A child this age can absolutely learn to tell you when a game chat gets weird, if they know you will help rather than take the game away.

Ages 10 to 12

The tween years are when the smartphone and social media usually arrive. Internet Matters notes the average age for a first smartphone is around 10 or 11, and about half of 12 year olds have social media accounts even though most platforms set a minimum age of 13. Common Sense Media points out that tweens have strong digital skills, which is great for schoolwork and interests but also opens the door to drama, cyberbullying, harassment, and privacy slips.

Focus here on teaching the tools of self-defense: how to flag, block, untag, and report, both for themselves and for friends being harassed. Set boundaries together rather than imposing them, and start honest conversations about grooming and contact from strangers. Internet Matters lists contact from strangers among the top risks reported by this age group.

Ages 13 to 15

Teens are now deep into social media, group chats, gaming communities, and short video. The risks broaden to sexting pressure, cyberbullying, misinformation, body image, and online grooming. Internet Matters found that one in eight teens with a social media profile reports pressure to keep up a popular appearance, and that older girls in particular report more contact from strangers.

Your role shifts from controller to trusted advisor. Keep parental controls where they help, but put more weight on conversation: talk about what is real and fake online, about consent and images, and about who they are actually talking to. Worryingly, Internet Matters has found only about one in eight children aged 12 to 15 who saw something worrying online reported it, so make clear that coming to you is always the right call.

Ages 16 to 18

Older teens are close to adult internet users, dealing with online dating, financial scams, reputation and digital footprint, and privacy. They will not accept heavy monitoring, and mostly should not need it. Internet Matters positions these teens as independent users who need conversation rather than strict control. The most useful things you can offer are an open door, honest talk about relationships and risk, and being the calm person they come back to when something goes wrong.

What stays constant at every age

A few things do not change. Keep talking, and keep it calm. Match your tools to your child's age and maturity, remembering, as Internet Matters puts it, that just because your child meets an age minimum, that does not mean they are ready. And make sure your child knows that if an online contact ever asks for images, tries to move the chat somewhere private, or makes them uncomfortable, they can tell you and you will help. If something crosses into exploitation, you can report to NCMEC's CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678, where reports are reviewed by people before being sent to law enforcement.