By: Jacob Aldrich

One of the moments that completes a transition for kids trying to transition to a bit more digital independence and responsibility is the moment they start building their first email address and inbox. But sometimes people make their first emails for impulsive reasons, like entering into giveaways, or trying to message people and needing a fast email to start. But how should kids go about starting and creating their first email address, and what steps can they take to go about it in a safe way?

Starting an email is one of the first stepping stones into someone becoming a responsible and independent digital citizen, and the first step in doing that is selecting a provider that will work well for children. Most of the popular options-Outlook, Gmail, and iCloud- should all work fine for free options, but if wanted there are paid options such as KidsEmail and TocoMail. The next step would be creating the actual email address, and since you have to be at least 13 in most cases, some parental supervision while creating the email would be best. A professional sounding “firstnamelastname” or some variation of that with numbers could be the preferred option.

For safety purposes, the password to the account should be something that is randomly jumbled and something that is written down, just so this account is not linked with similar passwords, and the password is memorable. Parental controls might also be something to be considered, so that the parents have some control over access to certain websites, as well as communication going on with the account. This combined with an open discussion about online safety and keeping track of their activity and keeping safe boundaries, can get a good solid foundation for a child’s journey of independence with their email.

Overall, as children get older they want to be able to have a more refined sense of freedom and getting their own email might be the start to them gaining a bit more of this experience. Setting the right standards in place early, and building a safe and secure email account and password (and don’t forget MFA), along with parental support, can guide kids in the right direction on their internet journey.

Conversation Starters

  • When did you create your first email account?
  • Have you helped anyone else you know make an email account?
  • Do your children have email accounts already or have they mentioned wanting one?
  • What age do you think is old enough to start having an email account?

Learn more

Savvy Cyber Kids educates and empowers digital citizens, from parents and grandparents, to teachers and students. Sign up for our free resources to help you navigate today’s digital world with cyber ethics. See more cyber safety and cyber ethics blogs produced exclusively for EarthLink. Looking for a social media parental control? Try a 30-day free trial of Bark. If you sign up after your trial, Bark donates 25% of your monthly fee to Savvy Cyber Kids.

Thank you to the Savvy Cyber Kid’s sponsors!

Interested in becoming a Savvy Cyber Kids sponsor? Email Ben Halpert.