Access to new technologies can keep families and kids connected, enable new ways to learn, and prepare our children for jobs of the future. The Internet can quite literally put the whole universe of knowledge at their fingertips. But parents also see big challenges – especially around protecting their children’s privacy. Fortunately, there are some technology tools and parenting strategies that you can use to protect your children’s privacy and, as important, raise children who are privacy-conscious heading into adulthood.

The need to raise privacy-conscious kids and arm them with the tools to safeguard their personal data has never been more essential. A national survey by Trusted Future found that only 16% of American adults felt firmly in control of their online personal data. Nearly 6 in 10 said they lacked trust in the security of the technology that they use.

At the same time that adults wrestle with concerns about security, safety, and privacy, Americans under 18 are growing up digital. Digital technology has never been a more integral part of a child’s life, especially after two years marked by remote learning, hybrid classes, and after-school classes, music lessons, and family gatherings streamed to laptops, tablets, and phones. One study found that half of kids already had their own smartphone by age 11. By the teen years, nearly 9 in 10 kids had a smartphone at home.