Chances are your child is a digital native, meaning navigating the web is as natural to him or her as flicking the TV onto Skippy or playing Pac Man was when you were a kid.
Problem is there’s a divide between many parents’ knowledge of the online world and what the younger generation may be exposed while surfing the Internet.
Today (February 9) is Safer Internet Day, a global initiative aimed at promoting better awareness of how to stay safe online.
To mark the occasion, Australia’s Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner is providing resources to help young people protect themselves better when using digital technology.
It’s produced an “eSafety health checklist”, which parents can introduce to assist their kids in their use of devices, social media and computers.
eSafety health checklist
• Treat your password like your toothbrush – don’t share it with anyone and change it regularly
• Revisit your privacy settings to protect your personal information
• Nude pics can spread quicker than a virus – reconsider the types of pics you send
• Don’t act in the heat of the moment – stay calm and chill
• When cyberbullying gets you down, report it: esafety.gov.au/reportcyberbullying
• What you post online stays online – think about your digital reputation.
To find out more about the child sex abuse epidemic online, see the February issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly, which is on sale now
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