Electronic Safety
Using technology and the internet is a fantastic way to learn new things and keep in touch with people but it is important that we all keep ourselves safe online. Remember these tops tips:
- Don’t post any personal information online – like your address, email address or mobile number.
- Think carefully before posting pictures or videos of yourself. Once you’ve put a picture of yourself online most people can see it and may be able to download it, it’s not just yours anymore.
- Keep your privacy settings as high as possible.
- Never give out your passwords.
- Don’t befriend people you don’t know and don’t meet up with people you’ve met online. Speak to your parent or carer about people suggesting you do.
- Remember that not everyone online is who they say they are.
- Think carefully about what you say before you post something online.
- Respect other people’s views, even if you don’t agree with someone else’s views doesn’t mean you need to be rude.
- If you see something online that makes you feel uncomfortable, unsafe or worried: leave the website, turn off your computer if you want to and tell a trusted adult immediately.
If you are concerned about anything you see online please use the CEOP button (The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command) below to report any abuse.
If you’ve played or seen any online games from the past few years, you’ve probably noticed that almost every title of this kind has some kind of chat functionality. Whether allowing players to send text messages to one another ⌨️ or letting them use their mics to chat together on voice 🎙️ if you’re on a multiplayer game, chances are you can talk to your fellow gamers, one way or another.
Sadly, such a function comes with its fair share of risks – as is to be expected with a feature intended to connect gamers from around the world 👤 and it is immensely important for parents and educators to understand these concerns and help young players address them. That’s why we’ve put together this free guide, breaking down the most prevalent issues associated with in-game chat and letting you know how to keep youngsters as safe as possible if or when they are exposed to this feature.
Internet Matters supports parents and professionals with comprehensive resources and expert guidance to help them navigate the ever-changing world of child internet safety.
Launched in May 2014 by founding partners, BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media, Internet Matters understands the challenges parents and carers face in navigating the ever-changing digital landscape. Collaborating with industry leaders like Google, Samsung and Meta, along with experts, government and schools, they provide families with tools, tips and resources. Whether your child is taking their first steps online or you need guidance on a specific issue, their website has everything you need to make their online life fulfilling, fun and, above all, safe.
Here are 3 articles we feel are relevant and worth reading to learn more on the topics:
Children's Online Safety Test
Virgin Media O2 have set up a quiz that you can take to check in on your online safety knowledge. If you choose to take any one of their short quizzes, it will then take you through to some additional resources including cyberbullying articles and online safety tips to enhance your internet safety awareness to keep your children safe online.
Online Safety Resources
The internet is a great place for kids to learn, play, create and connect, but technology is advancing quickly and parents may find it challenging to keep up.
Useful Online Updates For Parents/Carers
Internet Matters have released another really useful guide, this time it's all about online gaming safety tips for parents and carers of neurodivergent children. It's a simple 5-page guide covering the research, example games, some of the challenges which parents face and the all-important benefits.
It's a great little guide which you can download HERE.
- Block new friend requests sent from bad actors who were already blocked by the user, but sent from a different account from the same device.
- More frequent reminders about which friends they share their location with on Snap Maps.
- Further pop-up warnings if users add a friend who doesn't share mutual friends or is not a part of their contacts.
Thorn have got some excellent information and conversation starters for parent of children of all ages as well as something I really like - some virtual flip-cards for parents of children aged 8-12.
You can find all the information HERE. There are also some discussion guides about a range of issues, such as screen time and online monitoring, making friends online, consent and more. You can find these guides HERE.