Field guide
Family digital security: share less, separate more
Practical security habits for a household, in plain words, with a checklist by age.
Four ideas
| Idea | In plain words | Try this |
|---|---|---|
| Minimize | Share less so there is less to misuse | Remove birthdate, school and street from public profiles |
| Compartmentalize | Keep parts of life apart | Separate emails for school, gaming and social; if one is breached the rest stay safe |
| Need to know | Only people who need it get it | Location, schedule and school stay with trusted people |
| Watch your patterns | Routines reveal where a child will be | Turn off geotags; avoid live check-ins; be careful with jerseys and uniforms in photos |
Accounts and devices
- Strong, unique password for every account, stored in a password manager
- Two-step verification on email first, then everything else
- Recovery email and phone belong to a parent
- Automatic updates on phones, tablets, computers and apps
- Review privacy settings: who can message, tag, find and follow
- New contacts: trust but verify. Confirm identity another way before sharing anything
By age
| Age | Focus | Habits |
|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | Parent-run accounts | Devices in shared rooms; approved contacts only; kids tell a parent about anything that feels weird |
| 10–13 | Shared control | Privacy settings set together; no real name or school in usernames; talk about who is a ‘real’ friend |
| 14–17 | Guided independence | Teen owns settings; agreed plan if something goes wrong; discuss tricks like fake friends and requests for photos |
Relatives who post
A kind way to ask
“We’re keeping the kids’ photos private for now. Could you check with us before posting them, and skip tagging the school or location?”
Awareness Is Prevention is a prevention and education nonprofit, not a crisis line, law firm or law enforcement agency. This is general guidance, not legal or medical advice. In an emergency call 911.
Related
Safety is built before the crisis
Pick your part and see it through. Prevention works when people follow through.