When supporting our children to stay safe online it can be difficult to know which of the many information sources available are the best to use.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed with the different technology, the language that children use, the huge number of games and apps which are available and the potential risks.
As parents, the key is to find the balance for your child and minimise the risks where possible.
This guidance outlines resources to help keep children safe from different risks online and where to go to get support and advice.
Starting the conversation
Talking regularly with your child can help keep them safe online. Making it part of daily conversation, like you would about their day at school, will help your child feel relaxed.
It also means when they do have any worries, they’re more likely to come and speak to you.
Set up accounts together and discuss the privacy settings available to them. This is a good opportunity to discuss who may see what they post and help them understand they lose control of the data once it's out there.
Discuss the minimum age, many platforms require children to be over 13 to sign up, such as social media.
Discuss with your child what they should do if they see something that concerns them at home and at school.
Parental controls
Every platform has its own parental controls, everything from your Smart TV to game consoles and personal mobile devices.
As well as physical devices, parental controls can be used for content providers such as:
- YouTube
- YouTube Kids
- Netflix
- Amazon
- TikTok and many more
Parental controls can not only support you with managing screen time but also managing app store purchases, privacy settings, who they can contact, and even locating a lost device.
A comprehensive list of these can be found on the
ImpactMatters website, which includes easy-to-follow instructions.
Parental controls are a key tool to support your child, but technology is only part of the solution.
Here are a few of our top tips :
- have separate logins and link with family accounts
- have individual profiles on shared devices
- set relevant boundaries, discuss your expectations and time limits
- use the tools to support your child and help set boundaries
- keep to age restrictions on websites, apps and games
- make sure your child isn’t using their devices unsupervised, keep them in shared spaces
Screen time
When we look at screen time as a length of time, we also need to consider the type of content, if it is passive or active screen time.
Active screen time is when children positively use their devices, for example, for homework or extended learning. Some games will teach through play. These devices can support children in developing both academically and in everyday skills such as cooking or fitness.
The use of screens has also been credited with reducing feelings of loneliness in some children and helping to sustain and build friendships through social media or online gaming.
Watch a video about screen time advice on the webwise website
Artificial Intelligence
You may also be aware of the ever-increasing presence of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Skills in using AI are anticipated to be in high demand, and we must teach children how to use this technology responsibly in schools and at home.
Parent's guide: Top tips for using generative AI responsibly on Twinkl.com
Eye health
An important thing to consider is eye health. A good way to support good eye health when using screens is to follow the 20:20:20 rule.
The 20:20:20 rule is simple. It means your child should look away from their screen every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
You should encourage your child to follow this rule to relax their eye muscles and help reduce the risk of many symptoms of digital eye strain.
Specsavers screentime for kids: impacts and advice from our experts
Mobile phones
Current trends suggest that children own smartphones at progressively younger ages, and screen use has been found to start as early as six months of age.
It is also worth noting the ongoing research into mobile device addiction. It is imperative we use the tools available to us both at home and in schools to support our children in navigating this and providing them the skills to avoid this.
All schools have a mobile phone use policy, and parents can play an important role in supporting the school in effectively implementing its policy. As a recognised diagnosis, it is important to know when to seek help.
Smart Phone addiction on the British Educational Suppliers Association website
Finding further advice and information
These resources below will support you to talk to your child about a range of online safety issues, set up home filtering in a child-friendly way and set up age-appropriate parental controls on digital devices:
Useful links
Impartial online safety advice on safeguarding children when they are online on the Internet Matters website
Reporting concerns or risks on Childnet
Common sense media has the largest, most-trusted library of independent age-based and educational ratings and reviews for movies, games, apps, TV shows, websites, books, and music.
Own it on BBC is aimed at 9-12 year olds, useful for parents to share with their children.
The
NSPCC website gives advice and practical help about keeping children safe online.
gov.je