peninsula parenting
being cyber savvy
Melissa Hodge gives her take on being cyber savvy…
If you ever feel like you’re out of your depth when it comes
to children and social media, don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Just when you think you’ve got this Facebook caper covered,
along comes Instagram, Kik, Snapchat and Tango.
Kids of all ages are keeping one step ahead of their parents
with the newest trends in the social media world and it
seems we find out about them by chance. Personally, I just
have to look at my phone and see the apps my 11-year-old
has downloaded to see what the latest craze is.
So how do we keep on top of this secret society and keep
our kids safe?
With children as young as 8 or 9 having access to Facebook
and the like (even though the official age is 13), parents
need to act as a united front and start enforcing rules and
regulations.
NetAlert, Australia’s internet safety advisory body, says
many parents feel that their children know more than they
do about using the internet but offers helpful advice about
monitoring your child’s internet usage. It says:
• Be actively involved in your child’s internet use.
• Emphasise safe online behaviour and discuss why this is
needed.
• Investigate any chat rooms or online clubs that your child
wants to join to make sure they are legitimate.
• onsider using ‘filters’ to block access to internet relay
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chat (IRC) and newsgroups.
• iscuss use of good cyber manners (‘netiquette’).
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• eep the computer in a public area of the home to
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supervise children’s use.
• Use family-friendly search engines designed for children.
These are a few great tips for internet safety but what
happens when you hit the next hurdle – the mobile phone!
Many parents buy a mobile phone for their child for safety
reasons. Knowing that your child is contactable at all times
brings enormous peace of mind. However, mobile phones
can expose children to a range of risks.
Your typical phone these days can access the internet so it’s
another thing you have to monitor, educating your child in
safe mobile phone use and getting them to understand the
risks mobile phones can pose.
Don’t get me wrong, in this day and age, mobile phones are
great, particularly when your child starts going to secondary
school and gains more independence. But you definitely
need to keep an eye on their phone usage. A good way to
start is by making sure you buy the correct device for what
your child will need.
NetAlert suggests parents become familiar with the different
mobile technologies your child will be introduced to by their
friends.
They suggest parents follow these guidelines:
• on’t give your children mobile phones just for the sake
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of it – inform yourself of all the risks and benefits before
making a decision.
• reate a family contract with agreed consequences for
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exceeding time limits or cost.
• nvolve your children in decision-making about internet
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accounts, mobile phone services and price plans so that
they share responsibility for the cost of their activities
online.
• on’t use prepaid mobile phone accounts if you need to
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monitor usage or manage SMS addiction.
• trangers may be able to access information on
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your Bluetooth-enabled phone. Set your phone to
‘undiscoverable’.
• Use your phone’s handset PIN to protect it against
unauthorised use. Keep your PIN numbers secret.
We will eventually find our way through this web of cyber
issues. If all else fails, just shut down and reboot!
easter bunny’s
hopping into Dromana
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thursday 17th and
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of april
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APRIL 2014 (30)
read online www.mpmag.com.au
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