Cyber Safety/STEM
Students, Screens, and Social Media
Recently you may have read or heard in the media discussions about raising the minimum age for registering social media accounts from 13 to 16, even the prime minister is backing this move. As a school, we hear and speak to many students and families where social media use starts much earlier which can cause problems at home and school
In the senior classes we talk about being safe online, the use of social media, and who students can talk to if they feel uncomfortable. Data collected from surveys of students at St Mary’s show children often have reservations about talking to their parents about problems online.
Now more than ever it is important to be communicating with children about what is happening in their world. Parents may be startled to hear that the play-based childhood many of us have grown up with is now being replaced by the phone-based childhood for children born from around 2010 onwards.
Unfortunately, psychologists are now starting to see a significant link between smartphone use and our students' mental health which is a concern.
If you would like to learn more about this. Click here for a talk that looks at the toll of social media and the addicted phone-based childhood that is being experienced. In this conversation, Tristan Harris and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt make the case that the conditions that led to today's teenage mental health crisis can be turned around - with specific, achievable actions we all can take starting today. This is also available here if you like to listen to podcasts.
At St Mary’s we are doing our best to promote being safe online and managing the time we spend on devices. Yesterday our eSmart advisor Craig Reid came to the school to look over and discuss our school policies and procedures and what we can do to be even better.
We know we need to work together as a school with parents to make good choices about screens! We all want the best for our children!
If you have any questions or would like to know more please feel free to email sricharson@smechuca.catholic.edu.au Below is a webinar you may also like to join!
Consent and online boundaries: how to support your primary-aged child
Tuesday, 18 June: 12:30pm-1:00pm
As children begin to navigate the online world, they need to know how to make decisions around consent and boundaries. This webinar will outline strategies for parents and carers, as well as support those hard-to-have conversations. It's suitable for parents and carers of children in primary school. If you are interested please click here.