Digital Citizenship for Kids: Five Conversations to Practice at Home

Digital citizenship is the everyday work of taking part online with consideration for yourself and other people. It includes deciding what to share, checking a claim, handling a disagreement, and asking for help.

Children need more than a list of forbidden websites to practice those decisions. Use short conversations connected to things they actually do: sending a photo, joining a game, watching a video, or contributing to a group chat.

The Council of Europe’s parent-focused work treats digital citizenship as a combination of knowledge, skills, values, and participation. The practice scenarios below are original examples for family discussion, not a tested curriculum. Council of Europe publication overview

1. “Who could see this?”

Choose a harmless example before discussing anything sensitive. Imagine sending a photo of a drawing to a relative. Then imagine posting the same photo publicly with the child’s full name and school visible.

Ask what changed. The drawing did not, but the audience and accompanying information did.

Practice looking for the audience control before sharing. Discuss whether someone receiving a message could copy it or show it to another person. Avoid promising that a private setting makes a post impossible to spread.

A useful family phrase is: “Pause when the audience changes.” Sharing something with one trusted person is a separate decision from sharing it with a group or a public account.

For the practical settings behind location information, see the child location privacy guide. Keep the conversation about who needs the information and why, not only which switch is on.

2. “Is it yours to share?”

Use an ordinary example: a funny photo of a sibling, a voice message from a friend, or a screenshot of a classmate’s mistake.

Ask whether the person would want it shared. Then ask how your child could find out. Consent is a conversation, not a guess based on whether something seems funny.

Practice a simple request: “Can I send this to our group?” The answer can be no. Permission to take a photo does not automatically answer every later question about where to post it.

Adults can model this with their own family photos. If you ask your child’s view, be prepared to respect a reasonable refusal rather than making the question ceremonial.

If something has already been shared without permission, focus on repair: stop further sharing, remove what you can, apologize where appropriate, and involve an adult when the situation needs help. Do not make the child solve a spreading problem alone.

3. “What would help us check that?”

Choose a claim that is interesting but not frightening. A video might say an animal has an unusual ability, or a post might announce a change to a favorite game.

Ask who made the claim, where the information came from, and whether there is an original source. For a game update, the developer’s own announcement is a useful place to check. For school arrangements, the school’s communication is more relevant than a forwarded rumor.

Explain that popularity does not establish accuracy. A polished video, a confident voice, or a large number of shares can still accompany a mistaken claim.

Show your child how you handle uncertainty: “I don’t know whether that is right. Let’s find the original.” You do not need to turn the conversation into a lecture on every form of misinformation.

Keep scams as a related but separate skill. If the claim asks for money, account access, or a download, use the gaming scams guide before taking action.

4. “What would you do if this were happening beside you?”

Imagine a group chat where several people mock someone who is absent. Ask what makes responding difficult. Your child may worry about becoming the next target or losing contact with friends.

Explore a few options rather than requiring one heroic response: do not add to the pile-on, leave or mute the conversation where appropriate, check on the person privately if safe, and involve a trusted adult.

Discuss the difference between disagreeing with an idea and humiliating a person. Practice a short exit line: “I’m not joining this.” A child does not have to win the argument before leaving it.

If threats, harassment, or repeated targeting are involved, adults need to help. See the cyberbullying guide for that different level of concern. A discussion exercise does not replace support for a child already being harmed.

5. “How will you tell me when something goes wrong?”

Ask your child to choose a way to start a difficult conversation. They might say “I need help with something online,” send you a message, or ask to talk privately.

Explain what you will do first: listen, help them stop the immediate problem, and decide the next action together where possible. Avoid a blanket promise that no rule will ever change. Make it clear that asking for help is not itself the mistake.

Practice with a minor scenario, such as accidentally opening the wrong chat or seeing an unexpected message. The help route should not be introduced for the first time during a crisis.

Name another trusted adult the child can approach if you are unavailable. Check that the person is appropriate and knows the role rather than assuming any adult will be ready to help.

Keep the practice small and repeatable

One conversation is enough for a sitting. Let your child bring examples, and do not demand to see private messages simply to supply material for a lesson.

Parental controls can support boundaries, but they do not answer questions about kindness, credibility, or consent. Introduce the settings openly using the guide to explaining parental controls.

Return to these decisions as the child’s online activities change. A new group, device, or app offers a natural moment to practice the skill that now matters, without repeating the entire internet-safety talk.

Practice a specific digital skill

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