Social Media Safety for Kids

What does social media safety mean for kids?

For children, social media safety means protecting their account, personal information and location while learning how to judge messages, friend requests, links and posts. It also means knowing when to stop a conversation, block or report someone, and ask a trusted adult for help.

The goal is not to make children frightened of social media. It is to make safer choices feel normal: pause before sharing, check who is contacting you, protect information that does not need to be public and speak up early when something feels wrong.

Start with privacy and account security

Use privacy settings deliberately. Review who can see posts, send messages, tag the child or add them to groups, and turn off unnecessary location sharing. Use a unique password or passphrase and multi-factor authentication where available.

• Keep passwords and sign-in codes private.
• Review privacy, messaging and tagging settings together.
• Avoid publicly showing a home address, school, regular location or other unnecessary identifying details.
• Check which apps can access location, camera, microphone, photos and contacts.

Friend requests and followers need checking

A profile picture, familiar name and convincing biography do not prove who controls an account. Be cautious with requests from people you do not know and duplicate profiles claiming to belong to someone already on the child's list.

If a friend suddenly appears with a new account or makes an unusual request, verify with that person through a route you already know. Do not use the suspicious account to prove its own identity.

Direct messages can contain scams too

Phishing links, fake giveaways, account warnings and requests for verification codes can arrive through direct messages just as easily as through email or text. Being inside a familiar app does not make every message trustworthy.

For account warnings, open the real service directly rather than following a message link. If a friend asks for money, a password, a sign-in code or something unusually private, verify the request another way.

Think before sharing photos, videos and location

Posts can reveal more than intended. School uniforms, street signs, house numbers, event names and live-location tags can reveal where a child is or where they regularly spend time.

Before sharing a photo, video, screenshot or private conversation involving someone else, consider whether that person would reasonably expect it to be shared. Deleted posts can still survive as screenshots or copies.

Know the warning signs of an unsafe conversation

Children do not have to continue a conversation because someone seems friendly, popular or says they are the same age. Pressure to keep secrets, move to a more private platform, share personal information or images, or hide a conversation from trusted adults is a reason to stop and get help.

A child does not need to investigate who the person really is before asking for help. Feeling uncomfortable or pressured is enough reason to leave the conversation.

Block, report and tell a trusted adult

Blocking and reporting are normal safety tools. For bullying, threats, impersonation, scams or other serious behaviour, save useful evidence such as usernames, dates, messages or screenshots when appropriate, then use the platform's official reporting tools and involve a trusted adult.

Five social media safety rules kids can remember

• Protect it: Keep passwords, sign-in codes, precise location and unnecessary personal details private.
• Check it: A familiar name or profile picture does not automatically mean a familiar person.
• Pause it: Stop before clicking unexpected links or posting something you may regret.
• Leave it: End conversations that become secretive, pressuring or uncomfortable.
• Tell it: Ask a trusted adult early rather than trying to solve a worrying situation alone.

For parents and carers: keep the conversation open

Children are more likely to ask for help if reporting a problem does not automatically mean losing every device or account. Make it clear that coming to an adult early is the right decision, even if the child clicked something, replied to someone or shared information they now regret.

Review settings and online experiences together from time to time rather than waiting for an incident. The aim is to build judgement and confidence as the child becomes more independent online.