Use technology together – This is a good way to teach online safety, and it creates the opportunity for you to address safety issues as they arise. Be involved in your child’s online life. Discuss also the importance of unplugging from their mobile device, and establish phone-free times such as during class, at family dinners or after a certain time on school nights.

Use privacy settings – There are many sites for sharing ideas, photos, videos and more. Many of these service providers offer privacy settings and controls that will determine who can see your content before you post it. Talk with your family about what they should and should not share publicly. Teach your family to communicate responsibly: one good thumb rule is, if you would not say it in person, then do not text it, email it, instant message it, or post it as a comment on someone’s page. Discuss how what you say online might make other people feel, and come up with guidelines about what is appropriate communication. Help them respect the privacy of others by keeping the personal details about family or friends private, and by not identifying people by name in publicly shared social media. This should include personal information such as phone numbers or home addresses. Teach your family not to accept files or to open email attachments from strangers. Write down the rules and keep them near the computer.

Check age restrictions – Many online services have age limits restricting who can use their services. For example, for an email account, you would have to meet age requirements; some email products are restricted to users who are 18 years and older.