Ask Laura: Why Momo is like whack-a-mole - tips for keeping kids safe online

The Momo Challenge, the Tide Pod Challenge, the Blue Whale Challenge. Phew. Keeping up with the latest dangerous challenges lurking online is like playing an endless game of whack-a-mole. As soon as you begin to understand and deal with one problem, a new one pops up. What’s a concerned parent to do?

The big takeaway? It’s not the children making this challenge viral. It’s their parents. One of the best ways that we can help our kids stay safe online is to huddle often and empower them to build a strong team. Let’s break it down.

When you proactively talk with your child one-on-one about social media, you build trust and prepare them to make thoughtful, real-time decisions. These conversations can be short or long. They can happen in the car on the way to practice, while making dinner, in passing in the upstairs hallway. And they can be about their social media experiences or yours.

When these frightening challenges go viral, huddle with your kids and get specific: "Sophie, have you heard about the Momo Challenge? What if this were to happen to you? What would be your next move?"

Focus on what you or your child should DO in a certain situations, not just what should be avoided. The don’ts aren’t nearly as helpful as the do’s.

Many parents focus on what their children are posting on social media, but what they are consuming is just as important (as Momo has taught us!). Empower your child to fill their feed with only positive influences: people who have their priorities in check and who don’t have time for these types of Internet challenges.

Encourage kids to surround themselves, both online and off, with people who support them and push them to be real. No one should try to tempt them to complete a challenge to prove their worth.