Digital Safety

Or, I should say “Digital Safety for Teens: Protect Your Access, Your Money, and Your Mind“

When I was asked to speak to a group of teens about digital safety, I realized something important while crafting my initial notes:

The biggest online threats today aren’t just hackers.

• They’re habits.

• They’re manipulation.

• They’re algorithms.

• They’re emotion.

Digital safety isn’t just about passwords anymore. It’s about protecting your future self.

This is coming from a business owner with many clients who have unsafe habits (more on that below). I’m also the father of a teenager and constantly grapple with protecting and allowing learning opportunities to arise.

Here’s how I break it down.

1. Protect Your Access

Your accounts are doors. Guard the keys. Every app, every social platform, every login is a doorway into your life.

Start here:

• Use a password manager. Every account gets a unique password.

• Turn on 2-Factor Authentication, especially for email.

• Never click login links from emails or DMs. Go directly to the website.

• Keep your devices updated.

• Don’t log into personal accounts on public computers.

Your email account is the master key. If someone gets access to that, they can reset almost everything else.

This isn’t paranoia. It’s basic hygiene.

2. Protect Your Money

Scammers don’t hack first. They manipulate first.

The common tools they use:

• Urgency (“Act now!”)

• Fear (“Your account is locked.”)

• Romance (“I’ve never felt this way before.”)

• Ego (“You’ve been selected.”)

• Authority (“We’re calling from your bank.”)

If something makes you emotional quickly, pause.

For teens especially:

• Never send money to someone you haven’t met in real life.

• Be cautious about moving conversations off-platform quickly (gaming chat to WhatsApp, for example).

• “Free gift cards,” “crypto opportunities,” or “exclusive skins” are almost always scams.

• Use secure payment systems like Apple Pay or Google Pay when possible.

Slow is safe. Fast is how scams win.

3. Protect Your Mind

This is the part we don’t talk about enough. Social media platforms are engineered for engagement. Engagement means attention. Attention means profit. Algorithms show you what you linger on. If you spend time on extreme, dramatic, or negative content, you’ll see more of it.That’s not a conspiracy. That’s math.

A few reminders:

• Social media is a highlight reel, not real life.

• You’re comparing your everyday moments to someone else’s edited best.

• Likes and followers are not measures of worth.

• Notifications are designed like slot machines.

• If you’ve ever opened your phone without knowing why, that’s design — not weakness.

Protect your sleep.

Protect your mornings.

Curate your feed like you curate your friend group. And if an app consistently makes you feel anxious, angry, or inadequate, it may be time to step back.

The Hard Conversation: Sextortion and Online Exploitation

This is real. It’s increasing. And it thrives on silence.

If someone pressures you for photos, even if they “seem your. age,” assume caution. If something like this ever happens:

Tell a trusted adult immediately. You are not stupid. You are not alone. Scammers are professionals at emotional manipulation.

Silence makes it worse. Talking makes it better.

Five Rules to Remember

1. Unique passwords + 2FA.

2. Never send sensitive photos or personal information.

3. Verify before clicking or paying.

4. Think long-term reputation.

5. Protect your mental health like it’s your future — because it is.

The internet is a tool. It is not your identity.

You are building a digital footprint that will follow you into adulthood. That can be a powerful advantage — or an avoidable liability.

Protect future you.

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In full disclosure, I’m not entirely comfortable sharing this because it feels like a step way out of my lane. In fact, I had no intention of sharing this outside of the youth group that asked me to speak on the topic. Then, while I was thumb-bashing my phone creating the notes that became this article, I received an email containing important login credentials and two things became apparent:

1. This isn’t just for teens.

2. We don’t talk about this stuff nearly often enough.

So…here we are.