By the time our children hit their tweens, many will have access to more than one digital device. With most starting secondary school having a smartphone, laptop, or tablet of their very own. As parents, we all want to make sure that our children are protected, but the online world can feel like a minefield. There’s so much to think about, like, how much screen time is too much? Which social media platforms are appropriate? What content are they seeing? Who are they talking to? What impact is the online world having on their mental health? Safer Internet Day can really help here, the UK’s biggest celebration of online safety, inspiring important conversations in homes and in schools across the country.
This year Safer Internet Day takes place on Tuesday 11 February, and once again Tesco Mobile is championing this brilliant initiative. This is a day that is devoted to raising awareness, and inspiring and supporting children as well as their parents and carers in navigating the ever-changing digital landscape safely.
Safer Internet Day will be focusing on online scamming and phishing this year, with celebrations and learning based around the theme ‘Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams online’. According to new research released by the UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) it seemsthat exposure to scams is a regular part of life online for our young people, with a massive 79% of 8 to 17-year-olds coming across scams online at least once a month, almost half (45%) at least once a week, and 20% seeing scams online every day. Young people are falling prey to fake giveaways, phishing, fake websites, online shopping scams, including fake ticket sales, and trust trades. And scams like this don’t just leave victims out of pocket; they often affect their mental health too.
So how can we protect children from online scams and phishing attempts? A great place to find practical advice and tips is the Tesco Mobile Little Digital Helps Toolkit, developed together with children online safety experts, Internet Matters. Filled with essential and tailored advice, clever ideas, and practical guidance, it is a super resource for families wanting to help keep their children safe online. Take a look here Little Digital Helps Toolkit.
Here are 5 tips to help your child avoid online scams and phishing.
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Use parental controls on devices, this goes without saying, and if you are not sure how to do this, check out the Little Digital Helps Toolkit.
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Explain to your child what a scam may look like, so they can recognise one. Make sure they understand that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. And always get them to check in with you before ever sharing their details with anyone or on a website.
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Help your child to create passwords that are strong. Make sure they share them with you, but no one else. Regularly changing passwords can also help. Make it a fun game to create passwords that no one else could ever guess.
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By sticking to well-known apps, websites and games, it is easier to avoid falling prey to a fake. Be super cautious about opening links, emails and messages, particularly if they are from someone you don’t know.
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Teach them to trust the ick. If something ever feels off, speak to an adult.
Our best tip? Check out the Little Digital Helps Toolkit. It only takes 8 minutes to fill in a few questions about your children’s digital habits to receive a tailored toolkit, packed full of resources to keep them safe on connected devices.
Sally Marriott, Chief Technology Officer at Tesco Mobile, told us, “At Tesco Mobile, we believe that online safety should be a fundamental part of every child’s digital journey. That’s why we’re proud to sponsor Safer Internet Day once again and to play an active role in helping families stay protected. We know that scams and phishing attempts are becoming more sophisticated, and parents want trusted advice on how to keep their children safe. That’s why we’ve developed the Little Digital Helps Toolkit with our online safety expert partner Internet Matters, offering tailored tips to help families navigate online risks with confidence.”
Sally added, “Beyond this, we ensure that online safety is embedded in everything we do. We train our colleagues on online safety so that when parents visit Tesco Mobile stores, they can get practical, up-to-date advice on the topics that matter most, such as setting up parental controls on a new device. By working together with UK-based charities like Childnet and Internet Matters, we’re making sure that digital safety is part of the conversation from the moment a child gets their first phone.”
Will Gardner, CEO of Childnet, said, “We are delighted to have Tesco Mobile sponsoring Safer Internet Day for the second year in a row. With nearly half of 8 to 17-year-olds having been victim of an online scam, it’s clear that digital threats are becoming a growing concern for families. That’s why this year, we’re focused on equipping young people and parents with the tools they need to recognise and prevent these risks, whether on social media, while gaming, or browsing the web. By working with Tesco Mobile, we can help families navigate the digital world more safely and empower young people to make informed choices online.”
It’s reassuring to see a large and influential company like Tesco Mobile so committed to ensuring safer digital experiences for our kids.
The quantitative survey was conducted online by Censuswide in September-October 2024, with a representative sample of 2,013 children, aged 8-17 years, and the same number of their parents (aged 21+) (4,026 in total). Censuswide is a full-service research consultancy specialising in consumer and B2B research. This research was conducted on Censuswide’s education network, and participants under the age of 16 were contacted via their parents or guardians.
Childnet also consulted its Digital Leaders, Digital Champions, and its Youth Advisory Board, aged 8-17, in December 2024.