Raising kids who aren’t jerks on the internet should be paramount for every parent in 2026. One of the reasons the unrestricted internet is so dangerous is that children who do have access aren’t helped along the way — and it takes its toll on who they become as people, and on those they interact with, without proper digital etiquette.
It might sound like this is a super serious topic, because it is, but also don’t worry — I’m not gonna get too doom and gloom here. At myFirst, we’re about helping. We’re not in the business of telling you what to do or what a perfect family is supposed to look like. Families are unique, weird, and messy, but we love that.
That’s why we’ve long advocated for a more guided approach to exploration when it comes to kids’ digital safety. We aren’t fans of the digital abstinence some of our competitors tout because, frankly, telling a kid they can’t use the internet in 2026 is like telling a fish to avoid getting wet. It’s their world; we’re just the tech-support staff living in it. This is why we created myFirst Circle, the first-ever parent controlled online social experience and connected ecosystem for kids.
It’s up to us as parents to shepherd them.
Welcome to Digital Etiquette 101. It’s time to teach our kids that being behind a screen doesn’t mean their actions are consequence-free, and that being a decent human being doesn’t stop just because you have to look at your hands while you type.
1. The Grandma Test (And Why It Still Works)
I asked my daughter the other day if it was weird that her parents were “born in the late 1900’s,” to which she replied, “Yes,” and my wife replied, “Ew, don’t say that.”
I’m part of the generation that grew up both before and after the internet, so our sense of what’s right and wrong online is filtered through our parents’ fear of the web and through trial and error. I spent a lot of time in chat rooms I shouldn’t have been in, but that’s just because my parents didn’t know what a chat room was.
That’s why Millennials hit so hard on the ol’ “Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want your grandma to see.” In 2026, Grandma is probably on a VR headset gambling instead of actually going to Vegas for two weeks at a time, so the stakes have changed.
The core principle remains: more now than ever, the internet is forever.
One way to help your impulse-control-adverse tween is to hit the 3-second pause. Before hitting send, post, or upload, they need to ask:
- Is this true?
- Is this kind?
- If this were plastered on a billboard outside my school, would I cringe so hard they’d throw me in prison?
If the answer to any of these is “no” or “I’d rather die,” that comment stays in the drafts. Tell them to keep in mind that a delete button is basically just for decoration these days, because once a screenshot exists, it exists.
2. Tone is Everything
The worst invention given to computers is the caps lock key.
That being said, even if they aren’t going nuclear with the Yelling Button, it’s really tough to get subtext through when you’re reading messages, let alone ones written in the heat of the moment. Text-based communication strips away 90% of human nuance.
Turns out, without vocal inflection or a wink, it’s real hard to figure out if someone is mad at your or not just because they used a period in a text.
Teach Them:
- CAPS LOCK IS YELLING: Unless they are actually witnessing a car accident or a surprise party (hopefully not one at the other), the caps lock stays off.
- The Sarcasm Muscle: Sarcasm is an art that comes with practice in the safety of your own home, right at your parents’ faces when they’re trying to tell you something important. Online, it usually just looks like being a jerk. Teach them that if they have to explain it was a joke, it probably wasn’t a good one for the group chat.
- Punctuation Matters: Yeah, back to that period thing… a period at the end of a “Fine.” isn’t just grammar; it means you’re in a fight.
3. The Art Of Calm Disagreement
We’ve all seen it. Someone (me) thinks The Last Jedi is a truly great Star Wars film (it is), and the other person is wrong. Both the person in the right (me) and the person in the wrong (those who disagree) then lose their tempers, and before you know it, the family reunion you were trying to schedule is canceled indefinitely.
Kids (and, let’s be real, many adults) suffer from the Online Disinhibition Effect. The screen acts as a shield, making them feel invincible and disconnected from the human on the other side. I’m guilty of it, and I’m sure you are too. It never feels good afterward.
How To Help:
Frame the screen as a window instead of a shield. When they’re about to hurl the worst insult they can think of at someone for not reviving them in Halo, ask them if they’d say it to them through a window. That’s not even face-to-face, but it really brings home the idea that they can watch you saying terrible things instead of just reading them.
Then ask them if they’d say it within earshot of their mom.
If the answer is no, then, well, of course they shouldn’t say it.
Pro tip: Teach them how to agree to disagree, then bounce. It’s okay to walk away from a digital argument because there are no winners online.
4. Ghosting & Exclusion
Digital etiquette isn’t just about what you do; it’s about what you don’t do. In the era of group chats, you should not leave someone on read or create a secondary group chat specifically to exclude one person, which is the 2026 version of not letting someone sit at the lunch table.
The Chat, Chat:
Talk to your kids about digital inclusion.
- The Group Chat Rule: If you’re starting a group for a birthday party, don’t do it in front of the kid who isn’t invited.
- The Response Time: You don’t have to be tethered to your phone 24/7, but if a friend asks a direct question, don’t ignore them while posting stories.
5. Privacy Is EVERYTHING
Alright, I’ll admit it. Going all caps for that felt good. Did I use caps lock? No, I held the shift button down like a gentleman.
In 2026, privacy is the new gold (unless the value of gold keeps tanking, and in that scenario I’ll be ruined — ruined, I tell you). Teach your kids that what they share online can be used against them in a multitude of ways, like figuring out where they live, drowning them in advertisements, and collecting a staggering amount of data on them.
The Golden Rules:
- Tagging is a Privilege: Don’t post a photo of a friend looking like they just woke up from the worst night they’ve ever had.
- No Screenshots of Secrets: If someone confides in you via DM, screenshotting that to show someone else is the ultimate betrayal of digital trust.
- Password Hygiene: Sharing passwords isn’t a sign of friendship; it’s a security breach waiting to happen. “If you love me, you’ll give me your login” is a monumental red flag.
- If the product is free, you’re the product: Don’t give conglomerates access to your identity just because there are cat videos and viral dances.
6. The Bystander Effect: Don’t Just Watch
If you’re responsible enough to be online, you’re responsible enough to stand up when you see something wrong. Cyberbullying thrives on the silence of the audience.
The Call to Action:
Teach your kids to be upstanders, not bystanders. This doesn’t mean they have to get into a flame war with a troll. It means:
- Reporting abusive content.
- Sending a private DM to the kid being picked on: “Hey, that was uncool. You okay?”
- Not liking or sharing posts that mock others.
Remind them that a like is an endorsement. If they like a mean post, they’re holding the flashlight for the bully.
7. Be The Digital Example
Now, for the part you’re going to hate: You are the blueprint that makes all of this work.
If you’re at the dinner table arguing with a stranger on Facebook or ignoring your child to scroll through videos about life hacks, you’re teaching them that the screen is more important than the person in front of you.
I’m guilty of this, as I’m sure you are too. It’s hard to be mindful when we were the guinea pigs for the internet and smartphones. You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to recognize when it happens and be as mindful as you can.
The Challenge:
- Phone-Free Zones: Establish areas where the digital world doesn’t exist. The dinner table is for eating and discussing our days, and if you’re my son, whatever random “would you rather” question that floats through his mind.
- Narrate Your Phone Use: If you have to check an email during family time, say that junk with your whole chest. “I’m just checking a work email for two minutes, then I’m putting this away.” It shows them that tech has a specific purpose and isn’t just a compulsive limb. It’s a tool, not your whole world.
Final Thoughts: The Goal isn’t Perfection
We aren’t trying to raise digital saints. We’re trying to raise kids who are self-aware enough to realize that their digital footprint matters, especially as time goes on.
The internet in 2026 is a giant, helpful yet terrifying playground. Not a day goes by that I don’t think at least once that the internet might’ve been a mistake, and that corporations have largely ruined how fun it once was, but then I’m taught a new skill via YouTube, and those thoughts melt away. By teaching digital etiquette, we’re giving our kids the equipment they need to play without getting hurt — or hurting anyone else.
But, it starts with you. Be who you want them to be.
Looking for a way to help your kid focus? We have an idea you just might like.
