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There have recently been issues with the use of social media amongst senior students. Problems with social media generally happen outside of school hours but end up becoming an issue at school.

Social media is a term for the online platforms that people use to connect with others, share media content, and form social networks. Some of the most popular platforms include Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Skype, YouTube, Viber and Snapchat. It is important for children that they learn about cyber safety before they start using social media. We cover this at school but it also needs to be discussed at home and parents need to know how their children are using social media.

Social media is becoming increasingly embedded in apps, games, websites and even learning environments, so it’s difficult to ban. Banning social media is not a good way of teaching your child how to navigate social media risks and behave respectfully on social media. If you ban social media, your child might be more tempted to check it out when they’re away from home. Your child’s internet access away from home can be hard to control.

Parents should consider checking whether your child’s social media choices are appropriate for their age. Some social media platforms have age restrictions. For example, to have a Facebook or Instagram account your child needs to be 13 years old.

Online multiplayer games like World of Warcraft, Halo 5, League of Legends, Clash of Clans and The Sims are also becoming social media spaces for children, where they connect with other gamers and chat while playing.

Using social media means uploading and sharing content. This includes:

creating online profiles
posting comments or chatting
uploading photos and videos
sharing links
tagging photos and content
creating and sharing game modifications
remixing or changing existing content and sharing it.

Social media sites can also pose risks. For your child, these risks include:

being exposed to inappropriate or upsetting content
uploading inappropriate content like embarrassing photos or videos of themselves or others
sharing personal information with strangers – for example, phone numbers, date of birth or location
cyberbullying
exposure to too much-targeted advertising and marketing
having personal data sold on to other organisations.

Talking about social media use is the best way to protect your child and ensure your child’s internet safety. Talking gives you the opportunity to help your child:

work out how they want to behave and be treated by other people online
understand the risks involved in using social media – for example, risks like being tagged in an embarrassing photo
understand the dangers involved in sharing content and personal information – this includes not only content that your child shares but also images of your child that other people share, or posts and images that others tag your child to
learn how to navigate the risks – for example, if your child posts an identifiable image of themselves, they can reduce risk by not including any other personal information
learn what to do if people ask for personal details, are mean or abusive online
manage their own digital footprint – for example, you could talk about what your child would like their digital footprint to say about them, now and in the future.

Written guidelines about social media

Some written guidelines about social media can help your child get the benefits of social media while using it responsibly, respectfully and safely. This agreement could be part of a family media plan. If these guidelines include your social media use as well as your child’s, you can be a positive role model.

This might cover basics like:

when it’s OK to use social media and how long your child can spend on social media
whether it’s OK to use social media during homework time, family meals and so on
where it’s OK to use social media – for example, only in family areas of the house, not bedrooms.

Posting content and comments

It’s important for your child to agree to:

not uploading or sharing inappropriate messages, images and video of themselves or others
being cautious about the information that they share
being a responsible digital citizen by showing respect in posts and when sharing content – for example, if it’s not OK to say or do something face to face, it’s not OK online.

Protecting privacy

There is a lot of concern about how large social media platforms like Facebook handle users’ data. It’s a good idea to go through privacy guidelines and settings with your child and make shared decisions about the platforms and privacy settings your child uses. Your child can protect their privacy by agreeing to:

not share personal information like phone numbers, location and date of birth with strangers online, or with people they don’t know personally
not add personal details like phone numbers or date of birth to private profiles
regularly check privacy and location settings, especially on mobile phones
keep passwords and log-in details private and not share these with friends
log out after using public computers
disable features like posting to multiple social media sites at once.

Staying safe on social media

Safety essentials for your child include:

blocking and reporting people they don’t know or who post upsetting comments or content
not clicking on pop-ups. Some pop-ups that seem safe are not
accepting friend requests only from people your child knows to be who they say they are
taking a screenshot and talking to a trusted adult about upsetting things they see or experience online.

Social media can connect children to online global communities based on shared interests. These might be support networks or they might be sites for commenting on and sharing content about particular interests like games, TV series, music or hobbies.

Your child can get many other benefits from using social media:

Digital media literacy: exploring and experimenting on social media can help your child build knowledge and skills to enjoy online activities and avoid online risks.
Collaborative learning: your child can use social media to share educational content, either informally or in formal school settings.
Creativity: your child can be creative with profile pages, photos and video, and modifications for games.
Mental health and wellbeing: connecting with extended family and friends and taking part in local and global online communities can give your child a sense of connection and belonging.

I hope this information has been informative and thought provoking.

Prep enrolments for 2021 are open! If you have a child or know of someone with a school-aged child who would like to attend our school, please email me at principal@hfdoveton.catholic.edu.au.

Also if your child is not returning to Holy Family in 2021 could you please let me know.

God Bless

Steve Twomey

Principal

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