Raising kids online in 2026? Start with these 8 rules

In 2026, parenting online isn’t just about telling kids not to talk to strangers or share pass­words. AI has completely changed the rules. Kids can be impersonated in seconds, scams look professional, and even school­work can create new kinds of pressure and conflict.

The good news is you don’t need to become a full-time cyber expert to protect your family. What helps most is having a simple play­book your child can follow when some­thing feels off online.

I’m a cyber security researcher at F‑Secure, and I spend my days tracking how threats evolve. For Safer Internet Day (February 10), here are eight practical rules you can start using immediately. Each one includes a clear action step and script you can borrow.

1. Use the “Pause, Screen­shot, Ask” rule for any­thing emotional or urgent

If a message makes you feel panicked, excited, ashamed, or rushed, stop. Teach your child this 3-step habit:

• Pause (don’t reply, don’t click)

• Screenshot it

• Ask an adult 

What a problematic message might look like:

• “Your account will be deleted in 10 minutes if you don’t ____!”

• “Everyone is sharing this photo of you! Click here to see it.”

• “This is your teacher. I need you to send ____ right now.”

What to say: “If it feels super urgent, it’s probably not what it looks like. Screen­shot it and bring it to me.”

2. Set a baseline for social apps and DMs (and treat public accounts as a privilege)

Parents need structure, not constant negotiation. Here are some basic guard­rails I’d recommend as a cyber security expert, but please keep in mind what is best for your child and your family.

• Under 13: Avoid apps where strangers can DM or comment (unless they are heavily locked down and super­vised).

• Ages 13 to 15: Private accounts only, and DMs limited to people they know offline.

• 16 and up: Gradual freedom, but only after they show they can follow the rules consistently.

One quick caveat: Age isn’t the most important factor. Maturity is. Can they tell you when some­thing feels off, without hiding it?

What to say: “Public accounts are a privilege. If you can’t manage the settings, you can’t have the platform.”

3. One rule that stops most scams: never click a link sent in a DM

Scammers don’t need you to be “gullible.” They just need one tap. Teach your child they should never be clicking links sent in DMs from:

• Strangers — point blank

• “Friends” acting weird (scammers often hack accounts, so it might even be coming from their real account. Look for that “something’s off” feeling)

• Accounts offering prizes, codes, influencer deals, or urgent warnings

What to say: “DM links are often traps. If you didn’t ask for it, you don’t click it. If it’s real, you can find it inside the official app or by typing the web­site your­self.”

4. Stress this: you can’t trust every­thing you see online (cute, scary, or shocking)

AI makes it so easy to generate fake videos, fake screen­shots, fake head­lines, and even fake “breaking news.” Some of it is meant to scam people, but a lot of it is just designed to get clicks and reactions.

Tell your kids: if some­thing makes you feel a big emotion (fear, anger, excitement, panic), you don’t share it or react right away. First, stop (no clicking, no reposting, no replying).

Then, screen­shot and talk to an adult who can help you to:

• Check the source (who posted it and is it credible?)

• Confirm it else­where (can you find it on a trusted site or multiple real news outlets?)

Real examples:

• “This celebrity died!” (but it’s fake)

• “New school rules starting tomorrow!” (fake screen­shot)

• “Look at this cute cat jumping on a trampoline!” (AI-generated)

• “This video proves some­thing super scary is happening near you!” (misleading or edited)

What to say: “If it’s trying to make you feel some­thing fast, slow down. We verify before we share.”

5. Make “no secrets” and “no moving platforms” a hard boundary

A lot of dangerous situations start small and then turn into secrecy and pressure. Here are some red flags kids should memorize:

• “Don’t tell your parents.”

• “Let’s move to Signal, WhatsApp, or Discord.”

• “Send a pic so I know it’s really you.”

Non-negotiable: No private chats with people they don’t know offline. No secret accounts. No disappearing messages.

What to say: “If someone needs secrecy to be your friend, they are not your friend.”

6. Decide what happens after a rule is broken before it happens

This is where families get stuck, because in the heat of the moment, every­thing becomes a debate. The better approach is to agree on a simple if/then system ahead of time.

Example family policy:

• If you break a safety rule (click a link, share a photo, add a stranger)

• Then you don’t lose your phone forever

• But you lose privacy for a week (check-ins together, settings reset, and extra super­vision)

This keeps kids from hiding mistakes out of fear.

What to say: “I care more about you telling me quickly than being perfect.”

7. Do device check-ins on a schedule, not only when some­thing goes wrong

Surprise “gotcha” checks create secrecy. Predictable routines create trust.

Recommended cadence:

• Weekly (10 minutes): A quick check-in conversation

• Monthly (20 minutes): Review settings and contacts together

Monthly checklist:

• Is the account private?

• Who can DM, comment, and tag them?

• Any new apps installed?

• Any blocked or reported accounts?

What to say: “This isn’t a punishment. It’s just maintenance.”

8. Parents should model the behavior too (especially around privacy)

Kids notice how adults handle attention, conflict, and over­sharing online.

Three modeling rules that matter:

• Don’t share your child’s location, school, or routines publicly

• Don’t post embarrassing stories or photos of them “because it’s funny”

• Don’t tell kids to log off while you are doom­scrolling nonstop

What to say: “I’m learning too. We’re going to build safer habits together.”

The bottom line

Parents are exhausted because the internet is full of grey areas. The way out is clearer rules, repeatable scripts, and regular check-ins.

If you only remember one thing this Safer Internet Day, make it this:

The safest kids are not the ones who never mess up. They are the ones who tell an adult quickly.

Online security tools with parental controls and content filtering can help. But the biggest protective factor is still the same: trust, communication, and a family plan that removes the guess­work — the bad guys on the internet thrive in the ambiguity.