Digital Only

Home Evening Starter Kit: Staying Safe Online

Use this outline for a special home evening with your family all about media safety.

Song: “Choose the Right Way,” Children’s Songbook, 160

Activity: Look through the stories below and pick one to read as a family based on what your children need. As you read, you can have your children draw a picture of a person or scene from the story. When you finish, use the discussion question to talk about what you learned and how the Holy Ghost can help you make good choices. Remind them that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love them and want to help keep your family safe. Then make a media safety plan together. The additional resources listed below can help you get started!

Story Options by Topic

Media Safety

Discussion questions: What should we do if we see something that makes us uncomfortable? What steps should we take if we see pornography or something else unsafe?

“Chat-Box Mess”: A girl accepts a friend request from a stranger on a game online and then decides to tell her dad. Includes tips for online safety.
“Ethan’s Computer Secret”: A boy gets help from Heavenly Father and his dad after looking at pornography online. Includes tips for talking to children about pornography.
“Janeelyn Stops Scrolling”: A girl listens when the Holy Ghost tells her to stop scrolling through videos on her phone, and she tells her mom when she sees something inappropriate.
“True Friends?”: A boy chooses not to watch bad videos with his friends, even though he’s worried whether they’ll stay his friends.

Setting Limits

Discussion questions: What time limits and rules does our family have for using technology? What are fun things we can do together outside of using technology?

“Video Game Stoplight”: A boy learns to balance playing video games and being with his family.
“The Adventure Just Outside”: A girl realizes it’s fun to play outside and not just on her device.
“The Watch Problem”: A boy learns when to choose his friends over playing games on his watch.

Using Technology for Good

Discussion question: What ways can our family use the internet or other media tools for good?

“Sleepy Scripture Time”: While her mom is far away for work, a girl uses video chat to read scriptures with her family.
“An Important Quest” A boy uses FamilySearch.com to complete a family history challenge.

Additional Activities

“A Media Maze”: A maze that teaches about listening to the Holy Ghost as children make decisions about what they read, watch, or listen to. You could read through the ideas together or print a copy for children to use.
“What’s on Your Mind: Good Media Checklist”: A checklist to help children know if the media they are consuming is uplifting.
“Media Reminder Cards”: Four cards that give helpful reminders when using media. You can print and hang these by your computer or TV.

Tips and Resources for Creating a Family Media Plan

“My Media Safety Plan”: A simplified media safety plan from the Friend magazine, including spaces for children to write what they will do if they see something that makes them uncomfortable.
Media Safety: “Preparing a Plan”: An article from the Church’s Life Help section that gives scriptures and helpful questions to guide your discussion when creating a family media safety plan.
“Taking Charge of Technology”: A collection of short lessons from the Church’s Life Help page that explains the purpose, plan, and pause method for using media.
“Six Strategies for Family Media Safety”: An article from the Ensign magazine with ideas for helping children safely navigate our digital world. Written by academic experts on the subject.
For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices: This guidebook can help you and your children learn about making Christ-centered decisions about what you read, watch, and listen to.