Wellbeing Wednesday - Online Safety at home
08 Feb 2023
Using the internet has many benefits for children and young people. It is a great way for them to learn, keep in touch with friends or have fun by playing games or sharing images. However, there are risks when using the internet to be aware of, which include:
- online grooming, exploitation or bullying by others online;
- coming across inappropriate content (such as nude, violent, or distressing images or words); and
- being asked to share personal information or images.
Keeping children and young people safe online
If your child is starting to or already uses the internet, you may like to do the following.
- Talk to them about the possible risks of using the internet.
- Go online with them.
- Set rules about how your child uses the internet (such as how long and what sites they can go on).
- Set parental controls on your devices and internet (the Internet Matters Parental Controls page can help you with this).
- Check the content your child is viewing is appropriate for their age.
- If your child talks to someone online, make sure you know who they are.
- Check your child is aware of the risk of sharing images online and how to use reporting tools on the sites they use.