The Wellbeing Page 

Online Safety 

SMPS diligently follows the 11 Child Safe Standards to ensure students are safe, happy, connected and achieving.

One of these is Standard 9: Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.

At SMPS we use devices for online learning programs, ensuring students are closely supervised, purposeful and time-limited. 

We have included information below to support parents and carers in maintaining a safe online environment at home. 

If your child is under 12 years old, please do not allow them to sign up for social media. 

The minimum age for social media use is between 13 to 16 years old.

Many social media channels promote harmful messages, conveying unrealistic expectations of what someone should look like, or achieve. 

Let's support our children to control what they consume, for example, using a device for a positive purpose linked to learning, or an inspirational video which has already been watched and checked over by an adult before the child has accessed it. 

Research by Common Sense Media in 2018 found that 70% of teenagers reported feeling left out when they saw posts of activities online which they weren't invited to.

Studies show adolescents that spend more than 2 hours a day on social media are twice as likely to feel socially isolated compared to those who spend less than 30 minutes a day on social media. 

Another study found that adolescents who spend 3 or more hours per day on social media are more likely to report high levels of depressive symptoms compared to those who use social media for less than 1 hour per day. 

45% of respondents reported feeling anxious due to the perception of others' lives on social media.

Multiple studies have strongly linked social media use with an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self harm and even suicidal thoughts.  

Devices literally rewire our brains, and put us in a reward-seeking behaviour mode. 

Device use is not always bad, but it should be deliberate, planned, positive, supervised, highly regulated and limited. 

SMPS recommends:

• Don't allow social media accounts for your children - legally, they are too young, and that age limit is there for a reason. There are strong links between negative behaviour, low mood and self-esteem, and a feeling of loneliness, and social media use. 
• The internet connection is paid by you, so you choose how the internet works within your household, including disallowing social media.
• Lock away your child's device at night. Don't allow your child to have a device in their bedroom. If a child is heavily dependent on device use, it is likely that you will need to lock it away to stop your child getting up in the night and looking for it. Many of our parents physically lock phones and iPads away at night as a physical boundary and to protect their child from harm. We think it's a great strategy. 
  • This will likely require you to dig deep initially - your child will probably scream and cry for the device. This is normal - they will be angry with the change and will try their best to get it back. Stand strong and set the boundary. Your child will quickly learn your new routines and boundaries, and they will be better off as a result. 
  • If this continues to be difficult long-term (over 3 weeks or more), speak to your child's teacher about taking their device home one evening a week to complete their homework, and leaving it at school for the remaining 6 days. We know this stuff is tricky, and we are here to help.

In an ever-changing digital world, how can parents and carers support children to be safe online?

Find helpful steps from the Alannah and Madeline Foundation below:

By creating a balanced approach that combines education, communication, and practical safeguards, parents and carers can help children navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.

We understand this is easier said than done. There is so much varying information, it can be overwhelming and hard to keep up.

Parents and carers can start by focusing on a few key areas:

• Staying informed about the latest digital trends and potential risks. By understanding the platforms and apps children use, parents can better identify any threats and address them promptly.
• Implementing and regularly updating privacy settings on all devices and accounts is essential to protect personal information and limit exposure to inappropriate content or interactions.
• Encouraging children to use strong, unique passwords and enabling two-factor authentication can add an extra layer of security.
• Report online harm to eSafety, Australia’s independent regulator. eSafety helps prevent and deal with harm caused by serious online abuse or illegal and restricted online content. 

And the most important tool in parents' digital toolkit – open communication. Conversations are our superpower. It is critical that children and young people are encouraged to share any concerns or suspicious experiences they encounter without fear of judgement.