Lessons from Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’: understand your child’s online world

Published on 10th April, 2025 at 11:20 am

The internet can be a dark place – and keeping children safe online is as important as ensuring their physical safety. Informed parents can educate their children about making better online decisions, so let’s understand the realities of navigating the online landscape, for children.

Reading time: 7 minutes

In this article you’ll learn:

• The realities of what your children see online
• How the line between the online and physical worlds is blurred
• How to spot a child’s online struggles – and offer support

The most recent 2021 UNICEF SA Kids Online Study shows that a lack of awareness about online safety may expose them to online violence, exploitation and abuse.

The study demonstrated that:

• more than 95% of children in South Africa have access to the Internet regularly;
• 70% of surveyed children use the Internet without parental consent;
• 18% have sent a photo or video of themselves to a person they have never met face-to-face;
• 67% of participants who have encountered sexual images, were exposed to them online.

Understanding Online Risks

Cyberbullying is schoolyard bullying – but taken online, amplified by social media’s reach and burned permanently into digital history. Children can be ridiculed in exchanges on social media or have their online player personas ridiculed or attacked in an always-on world.

Sexual predators can easily stalk children online in the games they play and groom them by taking advantage of their innocence, trust and lack of adult supervision.

Phishing scams catch out millions of adults every day – so our children are even more vulnerable. One click on an innocuous-looking email can open up your children’s personal information to malicious actors, which can be used to target them – or compromise your home network, putting the family’s physical and online safety at risk.

Things that happen online, stay online, forever. What may seem like an innocent post about a party they’ve attended or a misunderstood Snapchat message can have immediate consequences in terms of cyberbullying.

Educating & Supporting Your Children Around Cyberbullying

Over a third of young people in 30 countries have reported being cyberbullied, with 1 in 5 skipping school because of it.

Deepfake videos, for example, can be used in cyberbullying. They are hyper-realistic AI videos (or images), which often are created and shared by teens of their fellow classmates performing acts or saying offensive things that that classmate has never done or said. Even deepfake nudes have been a growing concern, particularly for young girls, which considering the epidemic of GBV in South Africa, is something parents needs to be cognisant of.

Parental supervision of kids’ online activity should be a priority – even for secretive teenagers who withdraw and (rightfully) demand some privacy. Spending time online with your kids can help teach them appropriate online behaviour.

Do your best to make sure they’re also protected by school networks and what kind of online safety practices their friends’ parents have in place for them when they’re not in your care. Vitally, take your child seriously if they report an uncomfortable online exchange.

Many children who are cyberbullied don’t want to speak up because they feel ashamed or are worried that their devices will be taken away. Signs of cyberbullying to look out for include:

• being emotionally upset during or after an online or telephonic interaction;
• being secretive about their digital life;
• spending more time than usual in their room;
• withdrawal from or lack of interest in family members, friends and activities;
• avoiding school or group gatherings;
• a drop in academic performance or ‘acting out’ in anger at home;
• changes in mood, behaviour, sleep or appetite;
• suddenly wanting to stop using a device;
• being nervous when receiving a message, text, or email;
• avoiding discussions about online or phone activities.

If you suspect that they may be experiencing cyberbullying, offer comfort and support; let them know that what they’re experiencing is not their fault; notify their school; encourage them not to respond to the bullying – and block the bullies on all platforms; keep records to be used as evidence and seek help from a therapist.

Read more: These online safety tips will help to keep your kids safe