You're Not Safe Just Because It's on Google
Navigating Search Engine Risks for Children
I want each of you to feel empowered to have age-appropriate and informed conversations with your children on as many topics relating to their online safety as possible.
Giving you the confidence to lead those conversations will also help ensure that your child feels comfortable coming to you for advice in the future when they don't understand something or if something doesn't feel quite right to them. I call that a win-win, and plus, you start to look “cool” to them (okay, I can't actually promise to be able to help with that, but you never know!).
Search engines are a core component of everyday life online. Who hasn't heard somebody say, “Let me Google that?” Speaking of Google, they alone process over 100,000 searches every second, let that sink in! The engines use complex algorithms to show us the results it thinks are most relevant to us. This can lead to exposing children to inappropriate content, misinformation or even scams.
I want to assist you with understanding the risks but also offer some advice to you as a parent to help you provide your child with a positive and safe online experience.
What are the risks?
Manipulated Search Results: Although search engines take site reputation into account, trustworthiness isn't the main factor. Instead, they use algorithms that can be gamed via tactics like search engine optimisation (SEO), which is big business. As a result, users may encounter misleading content and low-quality commercial products that appear more credible than they are.
Disinformation: Search engines index billions of web pages, and shock horror, not all of them are factual or safe. Children will stumble across false information or even deliberate disinformation (Aka Fake News), especially when searching for trending topics or controversial Issues.
Other Engines Exist: Even if Google's SafeSearch is enabled, children can and likely will use lesser-known search engines that don't have similar protections. Some of these alternatives are less effective at blocking unsavoury content- sometimes by design, making it easier for children to encounter harmful or explicit material.
Illegal Content Lurks Out There: Search engines are designed to retrieve content based on keywords - not to judge whether that content is lawful. As a result, even illegal or harmful material can appear in search results. Children might assume that anything found through search engines must be safe just because they're so widely used. This misunderstanding can lead to accidental exposure to seriously inappropriate content.
Inappropriate Content Exposure: Although parental controls like Google's SafeSearch exist, they aren't infallible, and search engines might bypass them. Young users may still see inappropriate images or content, especially in image searches, even though they may not be able to click on the results. Some niche search engines lack even basic filtering, posing further risks.
AI Isn’t Always Right: Some search engines now offer AI-generated answers at the top of the results. While these can be helpful as webpage summaries, they're not always accurate. There have been instances where AI summaries have presented false or even dangerous information, reinforcing the need for critical thinking.
Advice to Parents
Parental Controls: No parental controls are perfect, but this software can help reduce the likelihood of inappropriate content appearing in search results. Use tools like Google Family Link to set search restrictions and monitor your child's browsing activity. Feel free to look at my other blog posts on parental controls.
Question AI-Generated Content: While AI content is generated quickly and often appears legitimate, teach children that just because an AI summary is well presented, it doesn't mean it's accurate. Encourage them to review the sources behind AI summaries and check the information with reputable sites or fact-checkers.?
Avoid Adverts: One of the ways search engines generate revenue is by showing adverts to their users. Sponsored search results are labelled, but they're not always easy to spot and can sometimes be malicious. Show your child how to distinguish between paid ads and organic search results and explain why some ads might be misleading or unsafe.
Promote Digital Literacy: Encourage children to question the motivation behind online content and develop critical thinking, as not all sites can be trusted. Some deliberately misinform users in order to sell products or promote misinformation. Developing a critical mindset is one of the best defences against these tactics.
Open & Honest Communication: For those of you who frequent my blog, this has pretty much become a mantra. Having open and honest communications with your child means they are more likely to come to you WHEN something goes wrong and they need advice or reassurance; start having those conversations now.
It can be like the Wild West out there in the online world, but the fact that you are here reading this says to me that you are trying to protect your child and offer them a safer experience. Keep yourself informed and keep communicating with your child and you stand a much better chance of succeeding and keeping them prepared for the risks that exist.
As always, thank you for your support. Please share this across your social media, and if you do have any comments, questions, or concerns, then feel free to reach out to me here or on BlueSky as I am always happy to spend some time helping to protect children online.
Remember that becoming a paid subscriber means that you will be supporting two charities that are very close to my heart and doing amazing things for people. The Not Forgotten Association and Childline as I will split all subscriptions 50/50 and donate to each charity every six months as I don’t do any of this for financial gain.
