12/26/2025
So your child got a smartphone for Christmas? 🤳
Now it's time to talk! 🗣
Please do not scroll because you are thinking, "here we go, another 'harm of cell phones' warning...I want my child to be able to contact me any time they need me, bottom line".
Trust me, I was with you... 🤔
Until I began to see child victims in my office.
So, here is the 411: ‼️❣️
Smartphones are essentially small computers, unsupervised, and even when unlimited, internet access can *and will* expose your child to dangers that can last a lifetime. It's important to have conversations with your child about internet safety and to consider setting boundaries and restrictions on their new phone, just as if they were going out to a new place with new people for the first time. In most instances, these seemingly harmless devices invite strangers into the comfort of our children's own bedrooms. It is no longer about sending them "out" that we inoculate them from harm. Devices invite predators, a no-gooders "in" to least-expecting minds if not prepared to look for them.
👩💻
In general, parents and guardians should consider these five safety tips, depending on the individual child and their age:
Setting boundaries for phone usage, including screen-time limits or “blackout” periods, and restricting what sites they can visit and where they can use their phone. Based on age and maturity level, an open-door policy is always a barrier to things happening in secret.
Using parental control apps to see what sites and apps their child is accessing on their smartphone, tablet, or computer. They can also show how much time they’re spending on these devices. Do your research on the brain vs body connection when youth mental health crises are being discussed. Know the facts! 👩🏭
Reviewing apps before they’re downloaded, ensuring you understand their capabilities and approve their content.
Establishing smart security, which includes fingerprint scans, facial recognition, and password locks. A GPS-enabled smartphone is excellent when using maps, BUT it can reveal a child’s location through online posts and uploaded photos, and should be disabled when a child posts anything online. Think about it. 💭
Talking to your kids. Regular conversations about internet safety can go a long way in increasing trust and open communication.
Show them "red flag behaviors" so they can recognize unhealthy actions, communication, and manipulations from people with ill will. 🦹♀️
Parents, guardians, teachers, coaches, church staff, and ANYONE working with young people must understand the risks children face on the internet, including cyberbullying, s*xting, and online enticement.
The website www.missingkids.org is a great place to start. NCMEC operates the nation’s CyberTipline and helps fight crimes against children on the internet, including not only kidnapping, but also exploitation, s*xtortion, cyberbullying (financial extortion by coercion), and other forms of blackmail that can leave a young person feeling they have no option but su!c!de.
Reports can be made at www.cybertipline.org
Explicit images from digital devices can be removed at www.takeitdown.ncmec.org
For age-appropriate tips on online safety, visit https://www.missingkids.org/netsmartz/home
