Hello Reader,

Guess what? October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! And a great time to talk with your children about staying safe online.

Here are a few topics to cover in your cybersecurity chats.

✅ Talk about online strangers.
​Online predators may pretend to be a young person who wants to be a friend. They may build trust over time before asking for personal information or photos. These predators are savvy and use AI-tested scripts to rope kids and teens in.

Remind your child that not everyone online is who they claim to be. Encourage them to tell a trusted adult if anyone they engage with online asks for personal information or ever makes them uncomfortable.

NOTE: I highly recommend not letting children under age 13 play video games or use apps where online strangers can contact them.

✅ Think before sharing photos.
​Nothing posted online or shared digitally is guaranteed to stay private. Once a photo is shared online, it can be saved, copied, forwarded, or manipulated with AI, even if it was meant to be private.

This is especially important when someone asks for a private or intimate picture.

Children should know that they can always come to a trusted adult for help, even if they have already shared something they regret.

✅ A few more cybersecurity reminders:

• Keep social media accounts private and review who can see posts and photos.
• Use strong, unique passwords for accounts children can access. And install a password manager (for parents) that is password-protected. I make my passwords long: 20+ alphanumeric and special characters. I use a password manager to store and access them. Search for “password manager” to find several options. Your life will be so much easier and more secure! Also, turn on multi-factor authentication when available.
• Encourage regular, open conversations about what children are seeing and experiencing online. Maybe a weekly “Tech Talk Tuesday”?
• Train kids to turn to you for help. If someone threatens, pressures, or blackmails your child online, they should not respond or send more images. Instead, tell a trusted adult, save the evidence, and report the account to the platform. If the situation involves threats or sexual exploitation, an adult should consider contacting law enforcement or NCMEC.

Modeling how to be safe in digital spaces is setting up your kids for a safer future.

I’m cheering you on!

Warmly,

Kristen

P.S. We’re proud to be part of the mission behind Your Attention Please as this important film was released today. 💙​
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Our kids are growing up in a digital world designed to compete for their attention. As parents, we have a role to play in helping them understand what’s happening, protect their attention, and build healthy habits around technology.
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Your Attention Please follows a mother fighting for her son, a Gen-Z innovator rethinking technology, and young people working to reclaim their attention. It’s an important look at how technology is designed to keep us engaged, and what can happen when families, educators, and young people push back.
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​🎬 Watch Your Attention Please today!
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Available to rent or own on Apple TV, Amazon, and other platforms, or stream on Documentary+ with a subscription.

Looking for an easy way to talk with your kids about pornography? Our Good Pictures Bad Pictures books provide the guidance, stories, and vocabulary to help you start with confidence.