Cybersafety

Cyber Safety

As some of you may be aware, last week the Cyber Safety Project came to Wantirna College to educate our middle year’s students, teachers and parents on how to stay safe online. One of their key messages was that technology is positive and exciting, however, ‘information is power’ and the more we all know about the topic of Cyber Safety, the better we are equipped to support our children as they navigate their way through the digital world.

To continue the conversation and to keep informed, we will be putting a regular article in the newsletter on Cyber Safety.

Our first article is a resource from the eSafety Commissioner and offers families some tips and strategies on how web connected devices can be managed in the home. Each of the links below will take you to further information and some practical tips on how you can set up devices to stay safe online.  

7 ways parents can manage web-connected devices in the home

• Almost one in three teens are accessing the internet between 10pm and midnight. 

Further information: https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-the-office/research-library/aussie-teens-and-kids-online

• Thirty-nine per cent of teens use a tablet to go online. Parental control tools are available for Apple’s iOS and Android.  Parental Controls for Tablets: https://esafety.gov.au/education-resources/iparent/online-safeguards/parental-controls/computers-tablets-and-smartphones

• Forty-seven per cent of teens play games and PC’s online. Playstation, Xbox, Wii and Steam have parental controls.  Games and Parental Controls: https://esafety.gov.au/education-resources/iparent/online-safeguards/parental-controls/gaming-consoles

• Sixty-four per cent of teens stream video on YouTube and TV. YouTube and YouTube Kids have a safety mode; YouTube Red offers ad-free videos. Netflix and Stan offer age-based settings.    Streaming Services Settings: https://esafety.gov.au/education-resources/iparent/online-safeguards/parental-controls/streaming-services

• Seventy-four per cent of teens use a computer to go online. Microsoft Windows and Apples’s MAC OSX offer family restrictions and monitoring.  Use Safety Settings: https://www.esafety.gov.au/education-resources/iparent/online-safeguards/parental-controls/computers-tablets-and-smartphones

• Seventy-eight per cent of teens research and browse on the internet. Safe search settings are available for Google Safe Search, Google Chrome and Yahoo7.  Tips on Searching Safely: https://esafety.gov.au/education-resources/iparent/online-safeguards/search-safely

• Eighty per cent use a smart phone. Telstra Mobile Protect, Vodafone Guardian, Apple iOS and Android have safety options.  Smartphone Parental Controls: https://esafety.gov.au/education-resources/iparent/online-safeguards/parental-controls/computers-tablets-and-smartphones

• Eight-six per cent have home broadband access. Telstra provides parental control tools and homework time blackouts; Optus and Vodafone provide guidance on tools.  Parents Controls from Internet Service Providers: https://esafety.gov.au/education-resources/iparent/online-safeguards/parental-controls/internet-service-providers

Parental controls can keep kids safe on many screens.

They can:

• Block sexually explicit sites
• Set screen time limits
• Block in-app purchases
• Block numbers and SMS
• Allow or block websites
• Restrict chat features
• Allow parental monitoring

Remember: No parental control is one hundred per cent fail safe. Keep children’s trust by using these tools openly at home.

Source: https://www.esafety.gov.au/