Cybersafety is an evolving area of concern for many parents and carers. The recent social media ban for kids under 16 has had lots of mixed reactions. Some parents think it’s great, some parents think it’s over the top, some parents think the government should stay out of parenting children. Many people have come up with workarounds, or are campaigning for platforms to take more responsibility for what kids are being exposed to. Whatever your reaction is, let’s have a chat about what kids are really being exposed to online. Because the first step towards safety is education.
There are three big concerns for most parents in terms of online safety. The first one is online bullying. Bullying is a behaviour that is persistent, humiliating, and has negative effects on someone’s mental health. Gone are the days where kids switch off after school and only have contact within their family until the next day. Now, there is unlimited access to peers. There is also a phenomenon where screens seem to give people permission to say things they would never say in person. At school, there are natural consequences to behaviour. You might have to observe the person you were nasty to looking upset, you might get in trouble from a teacher, or even lose friends. Online, bullying can be anonymous, relentless and free from consequences.
Pornography is everywhere online. With the average age of first exposure in Australia being 10 years old, it’s essential we look at this problem early. Pornography has the ability to drastically change children’s neuropathways, reducing empathy, altering their reward centre in their brain, and even leading to addiction. Exposure can be through search engines, social media, Pop Up while browsing, or deliberate exposure from friends or families.
Catfishing/extortion is becoming an increasing concern, particularly with the increase use of AI. Images are being taken from social media, corrupted, and being used to blackmail individuals for money or favours. The people doing this could be classmates, but also professional scammers. When this targets teenagers, they can very quickly feel overwhelmed and like there is no way out.
I recently listened to a podcast where the presenter, a Cybersafety expert stated that there is no safe place online. He stated that there are people wanting to take advantage and do harm to people on every platform. He even gave an example of predators being found on the Bible app. So with that in mind, how do we protect our kids?
- Education is everything. Your kids will eventually be exposed to something concerning online. It is not a matter of if, but when. Preparing them ahead of time so they can choose what to do in that moment rather than be caught off guard is essential.
- Do not let them progress online until YOU are ready. If you do not feel confident with the technology they are using, then say no. Educate yourself first, so you can understand who and what could go wrong while they are using the internet. If you are not ready, they are not ready.
- Make internet use public. Whether it’s having a family computer rather than individual devices, packing away the smart phones for the night at 8pm, or not using headsets when gaming, there are plenty of ways to make technology a family affair, rather than an individual one. Abuse thrives on secrecy, and so shedding light on activities and having open conversations makes it harder, and less attractive to hide things.
Finally, when your child does come to you with questions, or maybe things that went a little sideways while online, it’s import to discuss them, not punish them. You want them to feel comfortable asking for help when they need it with the little things and the big things.
Below is a list of websites that might help:
https://www.parentline.org.au/teenagers/
https://www.keepitrealonline.govt.nz/parents
Mrs Tegan March / Counsellor
