The Bark Blog                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
web browser page with a magnifying glass Digital Tech & Trends

How to Talk to Your Kid About Their Digital Footprint

Allison Scovell  |  January 28, 2025

As children start using technology more and more, they’re likely starting to leave a digital footprint before they even realize it. But it’s important that kids are aware of their digital footprint and have the right guidance to make healthy decisions online. 

But what exactly is a digital footprint, and how do we talk about it with our kids? A digital footprint is simply the sum total of all your online activities — everything from leaving a comment on an Instagram post to visiting a website. In this post, we’re going to cover five helpful tips for discussing digital footprints with your child so you can start having open, honest conversations about their online experience. 

Be a Role Model  

Before you even start the discussion about digital footprints, consider how you use technology in your own life and try to model healthy habits. If they see you being thoughtful about how you portray yourself and your family online, they’re more likely to do the same.

Start Early

Kids are aware of technology at young ages — even if it’s just the TV in their home or the iPads in their kindergarten classrooms. It’s never too early to talk about internet safety, but you’ll have to tailor the conversation to fit their age. For example, you may talk to your younger kids about cyberbullying and make sure they’re always kind to others, even online. But older kids may be ready for conversations about sexting and the risks of sending nudes. 

Avoid Fearful Conversations

The tone and style of how you have these conversations can communicate things to your child even more so than actual words. Try not to approach it with too much worry or fear, but instead discuss it with a confidence that will empower them to make good decisions. While the internet comes with a lot of risks, there is going to be a time when they have to use it for work or school. You don’t want to instill fear in them, but instead a healthy balance of caution and embracing it as a useful resource and practical tool.

Give Real-Life Examples and Research 

Sometimes kids are more receptive to a source from outside of their parents. In this case, anecdotes from others or experts in the field can be powerful tools when discussing your child’s digital footprint. You’ll want to find real-life stories and statistics that are most appropriate for your child’s age. This could be as simple as a news story about how some colleges can rescind offers after viewing an applicant’s social media.

Pro tip: Childhood 2.0 is a great documentary that is a perfect mix of real-life stories and research about this very topic. It covers everything from cyberbullying to predators, sexting, mental health, and more. We recommend this for around ages 13 and up. 

Get Practical 

Once you discuss (multiple times, probably) your child’s digital footprint, it’s time to talk about how to actually help protect them online. This can be any number of parental controls — such as disabling the chat on their video games or adding a parental control app to their smartphone. Either way, implementing these safety measures should be cushioned with these conversations about the potential dangers. This will hopefully make your child more understanding of why these precautions are necessary. 

How Bark Can Help Protect Your Child’s Digital Footprint 

Your child’s digital footprint can be a tedious thing for parents to keep track of — especially when they send tons of text messages or scroll through tons of posts on social media. That’s why Bark’s content monitoring can help you stay in the know if your child encounters anything harmful online by sending you alerts for texts, emails, and 30+ apps. 

Bark offers a variety of products that help parents protect their kids online, including the Bark Phone, the Bark Watch, the Bark app, and the Bark Home. Check out our products page to find out which one is the best fit for your family.

Bark helps families manage and protect their children’s digital lives.

mother and daughter discussing Bark Parental Controls