We Don’t Have to Wait to Protect Our Children Online
- Feb 8
- 3 min read
We don’t need to wait for laws to be passed, tech companies to change policies, or organizations to declare national awareness days to begin protecting our children from the very real harms of the digital age.
Yes, Safer Internet Day is on my Live on Purpose printable calendar for February 10, and I’m grateful for the awareness it brings. But as parents, we are reminded that our calling to guard our children’s hearts is daily—not seasonal.
Proverbs 4:23 tells us:
"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."
Our children’s hearts and minds are being shaped constantly—by what they see, hear, consume, and engage with online. While we cannot remove them entirely from the world, we are called to raise them with wisdom, discernment, and truth.
Here are three ways to strengthen your family and reclaim your role as the primary guide in your child’s digital life.
1. Teach Them to Spot the Scams
The Bible warns us repeatedly about deception, falsehood, and wolves in sheep’s clothing—and the internet is full of them.
Scams today don’t look dangerous on the surface. They arrive as friendly texts, exciting offers, or messages that create urgency or fear. Children, by nature, are trusting. That’s why discernment must be taught, not assumed.
Teaching children to spot scams is about helping them:
Slow down instead of reacting emotionally
Question messages that pressure or rush them
Ask a trusted adult before responding
Instead of assuming your child will “just know,” have ongoing conversations that are not about instilling fear, but about building wisdom. Walk through examples together, using my printable in the blog below. Show them how scammers create urgency, fear, or excitement to get people to react quickly.
Kids are targeted because they are trusting, curious, and still learning how the world works.
This is why it’s so important to teach children early:
Never click links from unknown senders
Never share personal information (even if it feels harmless)
Pause and ask a trusted adult when something feels off
Learn more here:
What Your Child Needs to Know If They Text or Email https://www.amycarney.com/post/what-your-child-needs-to-know-if-they-text-or-email
2. Pause Before You Post
Before we address our children’s online behavior, we must honestly examine our own.
Many parents share photos, stories, and milestones with the best intentions—pride, joy, connection. But the reality is that "sharenting" comes with risks we don’t always consider:
Loss of a child’s privacy
Digital footprints created without consent
Images or information being misused
Children deserve dignity, autonomy, and protection—even online.
Pausing before you post means asking:
Does my child need this shared publicly?
Would they be comfortable with this later in life?
Am I posting for connection, or for validation?
Our children are watching how we use technology. When we choose humility and restraint, we show them that not everything meaningful needs to be public.
Read more about why this matters here: Sharents: Why You Need to Pause Before You Post https://www.amycarney.com/post/sharents-why-you-need-to-pause-before-you-post
3. Create Healthy Boundaries
Boundaries are not about control—they are about love, protection, and discipleship.
God Himself establishes boundaries for our good, not our harm. In the same way, parents are called to lovingly guide their children, even when it’s uncomfortable or countercultural.
Healthy digital boundaries might include:
Screen-free meals and bedtimes
Devices staying out of bedrooms
Clear expectations for apps and content
Regular family check-ins
Children thrive when boundaries are predictable and explained—not arbitrary or reactive.
When parents confidently say, “This is how our family uses technology,” kids learn that screens are tools, not rulers of the household.
Practical ways to get started:
5 Ways to Set Your Family Up for Screen Time Success in Your Home
The Bottom Line
We don’t need perfect systems or sweeping legislation to begin protecting our children. We need informed parents who are willing to lead with intention.
Online safety starts at home with conversations, boundaries and presence.
Your leadership matters. And your home can be a place where children learn how to engage the digital world wisely, safely, and confidently. And it is never too late to begin.
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