We've rounded up our best back to school advice to help students and their families maintain online safety.

The teachers have started teaching, and the students have started learning. Another school year is launched, and this year, there are more education apps than ever before. This generation of students has gone from in-classroom teaching to online learning to in-classroom online learning. 

Teachers now use apps and programs that students access through their school-provided Chromebooks and tablets. Many classes use digital textbooks, and assignments are being written and submitted as Google docs. We have integrated the internet into our public education programs, and it’s going to remain that way forevermore. 

This is not a bad thing. It fosters digital literacy and levels the tech playing field by requiring computer skills from everyone. But we still need parents to help teach proper online etiquette. Just as we educate our kids on how to be accepted members of society, we need to teach them how to be decent digital citizens as well.

The first step in this process is to secure a strong cybersecurity for all your devices. Avast One is currently 50% off during our Back-to-School Sale. Slap our top product on all your devices and say goodbye to malware, ad trackers, and cluttered systems. 

The second step to raising good digital citizens is to open up the conversation with your child. To help with that, we’ve gathered together our best back-to-school tips and tricks. Check out the links below.

How to manage your elementary schooler’s digital milestones

It’s the digital age, and children today can not remember a time before the internet. Their elementary school years signify a core developmental era. Staying safe online and properly behaving on the internet are two topics that need to be added to the life lessons we teach our children. Use the five tips in this article to start your first conversation about digital literacy.

7 tips for improving your middle schooler’s digital literacy

Back-to-school season is the perfect time to remind your middle schooler about online safety. Digital literacy is more important now than ever before because all students are developing online fluency. Our job as parents is to make sure they do so in a conscientious way, with respect and decency. Use these seven tips to up your students’ digital literacy levels.  

Do you know your high schooler’s online fluency?

Just because your kids are in high school doesn’t mean you should stop talking to them about online safety. Internet dangers are always evolving, and reminders can keep the right course of action top of mind. Here are five tips that help you check in on your teen’s digital literacy level. 

Malware-as-a-service is spreading among teens

In the world of supply-and-demand, you can find pretty much anything. Sadly, we found a Discord server populated with teens buying and selling malware-as-a-service. The malware ranged from ransomware to cryptominers to information stealers. Learn more about this disturbing new trend in this article.

Kids are forming hacking groups online - here’s what to do about it

When we reported the above-mentioned server to Discord, the company took the server down. But that doesn’t change the fact that minors are seeking out this illegal, money-making hobby. They are forming hacking groups and sharing information, which on one hand is resourceful, but on the other hand…could this be the next wave of criminal hackers? Learn more about these online communities. 

What’s the difference between cyberbullying and online trolling?

The good news is that the internet allows us to freely express ourselves online. The bad news is that the internet allows us to freely express ourselves online. Maybe it’s the anonymity, maybe it’s the large audience, maybe it’s a sociopathic urge, whatever the reason, cyberbullies and trolls are active on practically every platform. Learn the difference between these two troublemaking creatures and, more importantly, read our five tips to defend yourself and loved ones from both. 

How can I prevent digital burnout?

Digital burnout is a very real condition causing fatigue, frustration, overexertion, and impaired concentration in anyone that spends too much time online. This devious ailment sneaks up on the user while they’re scrolling and robs them of their self-possessed joy and contentment. Learn the five critical tips that can prevent it from happening to you or your loved ones.