Want To Talk About It? Making space for conversations about life online.
Please feel free to copy and use this information to improve the online safety of the children in your life.
This year we are trying to answer the following questions…
1) What issues really matter to children and young people online?
2) How can we all work together to advocate for them moving forward?
3) What Changes do they want to see?
Conversation Starters.
• Whether by playing games, watching videos, or doing things your child enjoys, spending time together online is a great way to start conversations about the online world and how they’re finding being a part of it.
• It is important to ask questions and take a keen interest in what your child enjoys doing online.
• Do not judge them. Children have a different way of looking and doing things online, it is important that you are open minded, so that your child feels safe coming to talk to you about anything they do see or do online.
• Learn about their favourite Apps. Spend some time researching, or playing the Apps, so that you can show them how to report, block and make them as safe as can be via the privacy settings.
• There are a lot of organisations who are there to support you and your family if something has gone wrong. The Report Harmful Content website can help you with issues such as cyberbullying, impersonation and threats. You can report worrying behaviour towards children to CEOP.
• Let your child know that the best way to address any problem they have online, is to tell a trusted adult as soon as possible. For example, this might include someone they don’t know sending them a friend request; or an online message; telling them to visit a specific website, or app; or asking them for their personal information. Reassure them
that if anything happens online that they are unsure about, or makes them feel worried or upset, they can come to you for help.
Other Useful Advice
• Location Tagging – Turn off location services for apps, if this is switched on, any images and videos will contain information of where they were taken.
• Profile Pictures – Make sure you are comfortable with the pictures they use, if you wouldn’t put it on your social media, it shouldn’t be on theirs!
• See something you don’t like – Report it and block the user or better still encourage them to delete the user.
• Read the terms and conditions – According to many social media apps a parent or guardian must agree to them. Making you as the parent or carer liable if something should go wrong.
• Add your child – You will not be able to see everything they do, but if you do see something you don’t like, you can then discuss this with them.
• Model positive and safe online behaviour – Safe behaviour online starts with us as adults. Following basic safety suggestions and demonstrating these will help your child to follow in your footsteps. You also have a better chance of staying safer online yourself.
• Do your homework – Take time to read Privacy Policies and Terms of Use to find out how app developers use personal information. You can also learn about acceptable use of the app and find advice on securing online accounts and set privacy settings on devices.
• Download and use the app – Having a go yourself can help you understand how the app works and how to secure an account.
• Read the reviews for the app, this will give you an idea what other people are saying about it and what potential risks there may be.
• Making an informed decision – You are a parent and you will know your child enough to decide on allowing them to use App. Apps are generally designed to be fun and appealing and it is not difficult to see why a lot of them are appealing to your children. By following the steps outlined above you have a better opportunity to ensure that your child is protected online.
