The Australian eSafety Commissioner reports that 45% of kids aged 8-17 in Australia have experienced hurtful or nasty treatment online. Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness about online dangers and educate people on how to protect themselves. There are also ways to help make the internet a safer and more positive place for everyone. Safer Internet Day reminds us of potential online dangers and how to stay safe. The internet can be fun, but it can also feel unsafe at times. According to experts, online hate is a growing problem worldwide.
YouTube is committed to leading in this space by working with experts in child development, mental health, and safety to create healthier online experiences for teens. This Safer Internet Day, YouTube highlights several tools designed to support teens’ well-being on their platform. The YouTube Supervised Experience for Teens launched in 2024, allows parents and teens to link their accounts in the YouTube Family Center.
🌍🔒 Have you yet to find an event close to you to celebrate #SID? 🔒🌍
Find the interactive map of all committees and supporters on our Safer Internet Day (SID) website: https://t.co/jkA65wVXic#SaferInternetDay #SID2025 #BIK #OnlineSafety pic.twitter.com/fto4U2aJXU
— Safer Internet Day (@safeinternetday) February 11, 2025
This feature gives parents insights into their teens’ channel activity, including uploads, comments, and subscriptions. Linked accounts can also receive email notifications about channel activity and access resources created with external experts to support conversations about responsible content creation. YouTube has also enhanced their Bedtime and Take a Break Reminders to help parents manage their families’ screen time effectively.
Bedtime reminders trigger at specific times to encourage viewers to stop watching videos and go to bed, while Take a Break reminders can be set at intervals to prompt users to pause. These features are globally available and set to default for users under 18. For creators aged 13 to 17, videos are set to private by default.
This setting ensures that young creators can control who can view their content, though it can be changed at a parents discretion. YouTube collaborates with leading experts and organizations in the teen mental health space to create content that addresses their needs. Their newest partnership with a national nonprofit focused on protecting emotional health and preventing suicide among teens.
🌍🔒 How are YOU celebrating #SaferInternetDay 2025? 🔒🌍
Whether you're hosting an event, sharing tip with your students or learning something new, tell us & join the conversation using #SID2025 & #SaferInternetDay!
Get involved👉 https://t.co/jkA65wVXic#BIK pic.twitter.com/oVDa7EdkYb— Safer Internet Day (@safeinternetday) February 11, 2025
Together, they’ve developed a series of engaging and evidence-based mental health videos featuring top YouTube creators. The series, titled “Mind Matters: Creators Open Up About Mental Health,” will cover important issues such as social anxiety, stress management, and depression. YouTube Health has also partnered with the Child Mind Institute, a leading nonprofit focused on children’s mental health.,
This collaboration includes creating high-quality videos targeting Spanish-speaking teens, supporting award-winning video series, and hosting expert panels at YouTube Health’s Mental Health Summit. Their ongoing partnership aims to produce more valuable content for teens in 2025.
Struggling to keep up with tech in your child’s life?
Here’s how you can create healthier digital habits at home and strengthen family connections along the way. 👇#SaferInternetDay #OnMyMindhttps://t.co/gcLtzCiZZ4
— UNICEF (@UNICEF) February 11, 2025
YouTube tools for safer online experiences
YouTube is dedicated to supporting teens’ mental health and wellbeing through innovative tools and expert partnerships. As we celebrate Safer Internet Day, their goal remains to provide teens and their parents with the resources they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world. The growing reliance on digital platforms has made senior citizens, housewives, and children vulnerable to cyber threats.
A recent case in Mumbai saw a 74-year-old lose INR 1 lakh to an international cyber fraud syndicate. India’s digital user base has expanded to approximately 971.50 million, covering 67.03 percent of the population. However, the nation’s digital literacy rate remains at only 37 percent, according to NASSCOM’s 2023 data, leaving millions vulnerable to cyber threats, according to NASSCOM’s 2023 data.
Sanjay Kedia, CEO of Marsh McLennan India and President & CEO of Marsh India Insurance Brokers, states that in the last four years, fraudsters have defrauded people of over INR 331.65 billion, including INR 228.12 billion in 2024 alone. He also pointed out the increasing cybercrime across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Kedia emphasizes the pressing need for “immediate action from both businesses and individuals” to protect themselves from rising cyber fraud.
According to the India Cyber Threat Report 2025, released by the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and Seqrite, 42 percent of cyberattacks target Android devices. Elderly users, often unfamiliar with cyber hygiene, are increasingly falling victim to investment scams and identity theft. Housewives actively engaged in online shopping and social media face rising threats from phishing scams, fraudulent e-commerce websites, and Ponzi schemes.
Meanwhile, children remain at risk of cyberbullying, phishing, and malware hidden in gaming and entertainment apps. Pankit Desai, Co-founder and CEO of Sequretek, says, “Senior citizens, housewives, and children—they all spend a lot of time on gadgets, often without understanding the risks. This creates a perfect storm of vulnerability.
I tell my mother, who comes from a village, ‘Anything related to banks, PF, the stock market, or bills—don’t share any information. Just say, I will talk to my son.'”
Kedia believes enhancing India’s cyber resilience must be a national priority to curb rising cyber frauds. He suggests solutions such as promoting public-private partnerships, implementing robust cyber hygiene practices, leveraging advanced threat intelligence, and investing in comprehensive cyber insurance to close the cyber risk protection gap.
Enhanced data-sharing frameworks and scalable cyber insurance solutions will further empower both individuals and businesses to recover swiftly from cyber incidents,” he adds. Desai also stresses that public awareness is essential to building cyber resilience. “The government has started some good initiatives—like the RBI’s campaigns warning people to stay vigilant—but we need much more, especially in rural areas.
The real impact will come when the media, not just the government, takes responsibility. Small, digestible content in local languages will be key,” Desai concludes.
Noah Nguyen is a multi-talented developer who brings a unique perspective to his craft. Initially a creative writing professor, he turned to Dev work for the ability to work remotely. He now lives in Seattle, spending time hiking and drinking craft beer with his fiancee.
