Should I set up parental controls on my child's devices before they go to university?

By this stage, the goal is digital independence rather than parental oversight. Imposing controls without consent is likely to damage trust and is easily circumvented. A more effective approach is an honest pre-departure conversation about security, scams, and wellbeing — and making sure your child knows they can always call you if something goes wrong without fear of judgement.

My child is going abroad for a year. What extra digital safety considerations are there?

Using public Wi-Fi abroad increases the risk of account compromise — a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is worth investing in. Check that banking and payment apps work in the destination country. Ensure two-factor authentication is set up on a method that works internationally (an authenticator app is more reliable than SMS). Advise your child to keep copies of key documents (passport, visa, travel insurance) in a secure cloud location they can access from anywhere.

What should my child do if they are a victim of fraud at university?

Contact their bank immediately to report and freeze affected accounts. Report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at actionfraud.police.uk. Inform the university's finance team, as scams targeting students are often tracked and they may be able to alert others. Most universities also have a welfare team that can provide support if the experience has been distressing.

Preparing for University: Digital Independence

A guide for parents and young people preparing for university — covering account security, social media reputation, consent and image sharing, financial scams, and maintaining wellbeing in a new digital environment.

University marks the point at which most young people become fully digitally independent — and the risks that come with that independence are often underestimated by both students and their parents. From social media reputations that can affect graduate employment to sophisticated financial scams that target students specifically, the digital landscape at university is both exciting and genuinely hazardous. This guide is designed to be read before a student leaves home, and to give both young people and their families an honest, practical picture of what to prepare for.

1. Account Security

Moving to university means creating a large number of new accounts in a short space of time: university portal, student email, banking, accommodation, streaming services, food delivery, and more. Each new account is a potential vulnerability if basic security hygiene is not maintained. Before starting university, audit existing accounts: change passwords on anything that has been using the same password for more than a year, set up a password manager such as Bitwarden (free) or 1Password, and enable two-factor authentication on every account that offers it — especially banking, email, and university accounts. Student email accounts are a common target for phishing — fraudulent emails that impersonate the university, Student Finance England, or HMRC. Teach students to check the sender's actual email address (not just the display name), never to click unexpected links, and to contact the organisation directly if they receive an unexpected request for information or payment.

Key takeaway: Use a password manager, enable two-factor authentication on key accounts, and be sceptical of unexpected emails — especially those involving payments or login credentials.

2. Social Media Reputation

University is a time when social media use often intensifies — freshers' events, new friendships, and the desire to document a new chapter of life. It is also the period when many graduate employers begin to look at social media profiles seriously. While it is reasonable for students to have full private social lives, it is worth being deliberate about what is publicly visible. Encourage a regular review of privacy settings on all platforms, with the default being that personal profiles are private and only a professional platform such as LinkedIn is public. Avoid posting anything that you would be uncomfortable with a future employer, family member, or admissions tutor seeing — not because social lives should be hidden, but because context collapses online: what is funny to friends can look very different to an employer a year later. If there is existing content that the student would like removed from public view, most platforms offer tools to archive or delete old posts, or to request removal of content posted by others.

Key takeaway: Audit public social media profiles before starting university and apply the principle that anything public is potentially visible to future employers.

3. Consent and Image Sharing

University social environments — including clubs, sports teams, and freshers' activities — often involve a lot of informal photography. Students should understand that sharing images of others without their consent is not simply rude — in some circumstances, particularly involving intimate images, it is a criminal offence in England and Wales under the Online Safety Act 2023. The concept of consent applies to digital sharing in the same way it applies to physical interactions: a photo taken in a social context does not automatically give anyone the right to post it publicly, send it to others, or use it in ways the subject has not agreed to. If a student receives an intimate image they did not request, they should not forward it — doing so may constitute a criminal offence. If they are the victim of non-consensual image sharing, they can contact the Revenge Porn Helpline on 03456 00 04 59.

Key takeaway: Consent applies to image sharing as much as to physical interaction — never share intimate images of others, and know your rights if your images are shared without consent.

4. Financial Scams Targeting Students

Students are disproportionately targeted by financial scams. The most common include: Student Finance phishing emails claiming an account has been suspended or an overpayment must be returned; fake job advertisements that ask for a bank account to receive payments on behalf of a 'company' (money mule recruitment); social media 'flipping' scams that promise to turn a small payment into a larger one; and fake accommodation listings that require a deposit before viewing. The key protective habits are: never accept money into your bank account from an unknown source, never pay a deposit for accommodation without viewing it in person, be sceptical of any job that pays unusually well for minimal effort, and report suspicious contact to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Universities also have finance teams and student unions that can advise on anything that feels suspicious.

Key takeaway: Students are a prime target for financial scams — never accept unknown payments, never pay accommodation deposits before viewing, and report suspicious contact to Action Fraud.

5. Wellbeing and Screen Balance

University involves an enormous amount of screen time: lectures, seminars, independent study, socialising, and leisure. Without the structures of a school day or parental oversight, screen habits can quickly become unmanageable — affecting sleep, academic performance, and mental health. Before leaving for university, it is worth having an honest conversation about the habits that support wellbeing: a consistent sleep time, periods of the day without screens, and offline activities that provide genuine restoration. Many universities offer digital wellbeing resources, and the student union will have a mental health adviser. If a student is struggling, Young Minds (youngminds.org.uk) and Student Minds (studentminds.org.uk) are both excellent UK resources. Loneliness at university often expresses itself through increased screen time — if online activity is replacing rather than supplementing real connection, it is worth naming that gently.

Key takeaway: Build intentional offline time into university life from the start — healthy screen habits are harder to establish later if not set early.

This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.

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