Safer Internet Day

In This Section

Help Your Family Thrive in Our Digital Age

The Internet opens the world up for our kids, and that means they can sometimes experience parts of the world we don’t want them to see. You can proactively set boundaries and expectations for healthy online behavior for your family, but having these conversations is not always easy.

Kids want to be granted the freedom to navigate their online lives independently, and often know more about technology than their parent or caregiver.

When technology is used to create kindness, it can:

Make people feel happy, joyful and hopeful
Bring people together and build community
Inspire others to be kind

Mother and Daughter with Digital Tablet

Empowering Families to Use Technology Safely

Safer Internet Day (Feb. 7, 2023) is an international education and awareness-raising effort, celebrated in over 100 countries. Led by ConnectSafely in the United States, it’s a day to bring communities together to discuss challenges families face navigating the digital world, and empowers them to use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively.

Virtual Learning Session for Parents

Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. EST

National PTA Safer Internet Day Virtual Parent Session
No Room for Doom: Helping Your Family Thrive in Our Digital Age
Co-presented by National PTA and ConnectSafely

National PTA and ConnectSafely are proud to offer a virtual learning session for parents and caregivers to explore how they can help their kids navigate five of the most common online scenarios they face:

Screentime
Impact of influencers and celebrities
When kids feel left out
Pressure to be perfect
Online bullying and harassment

Target Audience: Parents and caregivers of children and teens with some experience using technology.

Speakers

Kerry Gallagher, JD, Education Director, ConnectSafely

Carrie Neill, National PTA Connected Ambassador

Co-presented by National PTA and ConnectSafely

Help Promote Safer Internet Day on Social Media

Thank you for your support and help spreading the word about Safer Internet Day!

Social Media Toolkit

Create Healthy Digital Families

Browse the following resources to help you foster discussion and create healthy digital families.

National PTA Resources

The Smart Talk – Using a series of guided questions, this online tool allows kids ages 5-18 to actively participate in setting limits around device use, digital safety, privacy, communication, health and wellness, and media choices. The end result is a personalized family technology agreement that is created based on individual responses.

Be Internet Awesome Family Guide – Organizes digital citizenship into five areas to make it an easy family conversation.
- Be Internet Smart = share with care.
- Be Internet Alert = don’t fall for a fake.
- Be Internet Strong = protect your secrets.
- Be Internet Kind = it’s cool to be kind.
- Be Internet Brave = when in doubt, talk it out.
Five Tips to Help Your Teen Navigate Their Online Experiences – Explains what support teens really value from trusted adults as they navigate their online experience.

Tips for Building Belonging in the Digital Space – Outlines how to create a welcoming and accepting online environment for everyone.

Healthy Minds Tips for Helping Kids Cope – Includes strategies to help kids identify their feelings, prepare for life’s challenges, build resiliency, process strong emotions, feel supported, and meaningfully engage with the world around them.

ConnectSafely Resources

Quick-Guides – Get quick tips about TikTok, Instagram, Roblox, Snapchat, Cyberbullying, Hate Speech, Teen Sexting, Misinformation and Media Literacy, Ransomware, Passwords, Cybersecurity, Creativity & Copyright, Safe Online Shopping, Online Seniors and more.

Parents Guides – Learn more about popular services your kids use, including TikTok, Instagram, Roblox, Discord & more as well as important issues like cyberbullying, teen sexting, hate speech, LBGTQ cyberbullying, tech for tots, cybersecurity, and educational technology.

Videos – Browse a YouTube playlist of videos about Snapchat, TikTok, Amazon Kids, Roblox, Instagram and more.

Other Resources

Digital Connections Videos – Teaches students essential digital citizenship skills through an interactive video series, designed for grades 6–8.

Host a Safer Internet Day Event

Want to host your own Safer Internet Day event? PTA Connected provides turn-key education and programming for PTA leaders to use locally to address digital safety, citizenship, wellbeing, readiness and access within school communities, homes and families.