Safer Internet Day taking place on 7th February 2012
Discover the digital world together… safely!
With 98% of young people in Ireland using the internet,
Safer Internet Day 2012 urges families to get Webwise
Safer Internet Day 2012, a global initiative to promote a safer Internet for all users, especially young people, will be celebrated in Ireland on Tuesday 7th February 2012.
This year, Safer Internet Day, which is organised in Ireland by the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE), is urging families to ‘discover the digital world together…safely!’.
The single most important thing a parent can do to help keep their children safer online is to engage with them on the topic. For tips and hints on how to do this as well as some fun activities you can do together online, check out www.Webwise.ie and www.facebook.com/webwise.
For example, did you know……?
98% of young people in Ireland use the internet – 44% are online every day
28% access the internet through personal devices like mobile phones and gaming machines
52% of 11 and 12 year olds have social networking profiles
12% of European 9 to16 year olds say they have been bothered or upset by something on the internet…
…however, 56% of parents whose child has received nasty or hurtful messages online are not aware of this
36% of 9 to16 year olds claim that they definitely know more about the internet than their parents
While one in eight parents don’t seem to mediate their children’s online activities, 56% do take positive steps to protect their children. 44% of children think that parental mediation limits what they do online
Here are 10 Top Tips to ensure your child is using the internet…safely!
- Discover the internet together
Be the one to introduce your child to the internet. This could make it easier to share both positive and negative experiences in the future. Make a choice about whether you want to block your children from seeing certain types of content using our parental controls.
- Agree with your child on rules for internet use
Set ground rules for your children about how you expect them to behave online. Try to reach an agreement with your child on how long they should spend online and what types of sites and activities are ok.
- Encourage your child to protect their reputation
They should be selective about what personal information and photos they post to online spaces. Once material is online it can be subject to all kinds of unauthorized use.
- Talk about the risks associated with meeting online friends
Young people are making friends online but they should only physically meet these strangers in the company of an adult or others they trust.
- Use Parental Controls
For younger children in particular you will want to find out how to set safe search filters and to ensure this is locked to the PC your child uses.
- Don’t be too critical towards your child’s exploration of the internet
Remember, it is not always their fault if they come across inappropriate content on the web.
- Games consoles are online too
All games consoles come with parental controls and most ask you if you would like to set them up from the outset. They allow you to block a game based on age ratings, disable or restrict web access and disable voice chat.
- Encourage respect for others
As in everyday life there are informal ethical rules for how to behave when relating to other people on the internet.
- Know your child’s internet use
To be able to guide your child’s internet use, whether it’s on their mobile phone or PC, it is important to understand how children use the Internet and know what they like to do online.
- Remember that the positive aspects of the internet outweigh the negative aspects
The internet is an excellent educational and recreational resource for children. Encourage your child to be Webwise and explore the internet to its full potential.
Webwise has also set up a Facebook presence to help parents to get involved in what their children are doing online. See more at www.facebook.com/webwise .
-Ends-