We need to talk about digital boundaries

published on Oct 6, 20255 min read

Digital boundaries for kids: Teaching your child to protect themselves online

In today’s digitally rich world, raising children requires thoughtful guidance as much as it requires your children to use technology. Digital tools present great opportunities for personal growth in children, like connecting with loved ones and nurturing their creative spirit. However, being online (especially while growing and maturing) can present other risks, like cyberbullying, social media and gaming addiction, and exposure to inappropriate content.

At HMD, we understand the importance of children learning and knowing digital boundaries, both for their safety and wellbeing. As part of the Better Phone Project we spoke to experts like Gloria Mark, Chancellor’s Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, and commissioned a global survey of nearly 25,000 parents and children.¹ This study highlighted the importance of having digital boundaries and presented some alarming results, including:

51% of children have been contacted online by strangers.
One in three has been encouraged to take conversations to private chat rooms or messaging apps.
56% of kids report being insulted or made to feel small online.
40% have been sent sexual or violent content.
52% of children feel addicted to their screens.

Starting the conversation early

With 51% of children being contacted by strangers online and 56% being made to feel small online,¹ we can see why it is critical to begin open conversations early and regularly (even before the child has access to a device).

Interacting openly with your child about their digital experiences helps normalize questions and create a supportive space where your child can feel like they’re free from judgement. You can always start with simple questions, asking if they have ever felt unsafe online - inviting trust and reflection into the dynamic. You can also begin to teach your child to look out for online dangers, well before they’ve gained access to a device. You can talk about stranger danger, privacy matters, cyberbullying, and more to ensure that once your child has a device, they are prepared.

Setting age-appropriate rules for screen time

Our global survey found that 52% of children felt addicted to their screens,¹ an alarming amount, especially with children recognizing that addiction. Professor Gloria Mark has spent two decades researching the human attention span and has acknowledged the decrease in attention span since the introduction of the smartphone. She also goes into detail about setting appropriate screen-time limits for your children and how this can help them develop.

Professor Mark recommends:

Children under two years old – NO screen time
Children between two and five years old – One hour maximum of screen time
Children older than five years old – Choose a small limit and ENFORCE it.

This tiered approach respects developmental stages and helps safeguard attention spans at a time when self-regulation is still developing. Present screen time rules collaboratively, as children who help craft their own limits are more engaged and likely to stick with them.

Teaching the importance of privacy

Being digitally literate is extremely important in the enforcement and following of digital boundaries. Being digitally literate doesn’t just include knowledge of how to use different types of technology, it also includes the critical thinking skills and habits associated with being online. This can include the ability to evaluate information, manage privacy settings, and recognize risks while online.

With your child, it is important to explain to them that being online opens them up to the whole world, and vice versa. A single post, like or comment can travel far and be seen by lots of people, including those who shouldn’t. Teaching your child not to post private information - such as their school, school uniforms, where they live, their age, and their full name - is the bare minimum. It is also important your child understands the type of content they’re sharing online. They should ask themselves, “if my grandparent, parent, or teacher saw this, would they be ok with me posting it?”

Using parental controls wisely

Parental controls are a useful tool especially when your child is first navigating their digital persona. At HMD we are all about putting families first when developing our new range of smartphones for children and teens. Recently we have released the HMD Fuse and the HMD Fusion X1, both smartphones intended to keep the philosophy of balanced protection: parental controls serving as training wheels and a form of secondary protection, without being blind surveillance.

The HMD Fuse is a smartphone for children. With the help of the Harmblock+ guardian’s app, parents and guardians can rest easy knowing they can control which apps are available on their child’s phone, monitor screen time, set up School and Bedtime Modes, as well as track location. The special thing about the HMD Fuse is that it is a first-of-its-kind smartphone with the ability to block nude content. The HarmBlock AI within the phone can detect nudity on the screen, blocking nude content from being created, saved, or shared by the child.

The HMD Fusion X1 is a smartphone aimed at your teen. With the Xplora Guardian App you can monitor screen time, track location and location history, add or remove apps, and control who your teen is communicating with by pre-approving contacts with whitelisting.²

Learn more about the HMD Family range here.

Other digital parenting resources

We have a range of digital parenting resources on our website for you to read. If you’d like to see more, you can find them here.

Based on a study commissioned by HMD and conducted by Perspectus Global of almost 25,000 parents and children across the UK, US, Australia, India, UAE & Germany. The survey of 12,393 parents and 12,331 children (aged between 8-15) was conducted in January 2025.
Contact whitelisting works with messages and phone calls. Whitelisting is currently not supported in third-party communication apps.