Online Safety


The events of the last few months have enabled an increasing reliance on the online world as families have moved to new ways of working and learning. These tools can no doubt, enhance the lifestyles of users young and old as well as help to retain social links during periods of isolation but there are also


potential threats and concerns about keeping younger family members safe online. With this in mind we have pulled together some top resources to help your family develop safe and healthy online habits.


Screentime How much time children of any age spend online is always a controversial issue. With so much learning being carried out online over the last few months it has become even more difficult to gauge what level of screen exposure is appropriate. The Parentzone website has compiled a list of five important things that parents should know about screen time and Childnet have devised a series of quick activities to help you identify a good online/offline balance. https://tinyurl.com/y3phzalz https://tinyurl.com/y9teznwu


An ‘online family agreement’ A family agreement is a great way to start a conversation with your whole family about how you all use the internet, and to start discussions together around how to behave in a positive way when online, whether this is at home, at school or at a friend's. The Childnet agreement provides a list of things to consider when creating a family agreement, and some examples to get you started as well as a template www.childnet.com/resources/family-agreement


The BBC Own It app


and keyboard This app, launched last year for ages 8+ (but permission will need to be obtained by adults to download it for under 13s) aims to promote a healthy online lifestyle for young device users. These tools help to enable children advice whenever they type, track their feelings, win badges as they reflect and find help when they need it. More information for children and parents can be found on the BBC Own It website www.bbc.com/ownit


Parental controls The Internet Matters website is an excellent resource for parents wanting to feel empowered about how to use parental control settings on smartphones, broadband services, social media platforms, search engines, gaming devices, games and more. Check out their resources and easy-to-follow guides to ensure that you have a degree of control over what your children can access and how they can be reached online. www.internetmatters.org


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16