Social Media
In today’s digital age, social media platforms are a big part of our lives, but they can also be a source of concern when it comes to children under 13. You may have read that the Federal Government is currently looking in to increasing the age limit on social media platforms in Australia and having stricter consequences for those being found bypassing these restrictions. As a parent, it's important to understand the implications and to help guide your child’s interactions with social media in a safe and responsible manner.
Social media are websites and apps where people can share pictures, videos, and messages with each other. Some popular ones you might know are Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok. Think of it like a big digital playground where you can connect with friends and see what’s happening around the world. Social Media can play an important role in young people’s lives as it is a way to stay connected with friends and family, learn new things and share creativity. For children under the age of 13, they want to connect with their friends and explore new interests, and while social media can offer benefits like creativity and communication, it can also open up a risky space that young children don’t necessarily understand nor have the skills to navigate.
The eSafety Commissioner covers a range of issues and advice for parents, children and educators. Knowing when your child is ready for social media and other online activities is a question that many parents ask. With 94% of children having access to the internet by the time they are 4, by the time they reach primary school they are tech savvy. It is important that you make your own judgements within current laws and regulations and establish an agreement with your child/ren. The eSafety Commissioner outlines some questions you should ask before allowing your child to access social media - https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/are-they-old-enough#when-are-they-ready-for-social-media-accounts
It is crucial, more now than ever, to be aware of the risks and how to manage them. While we cover areas of online privacy, cyberbullying and screen time as part of our Digital Technologies curriculum, schools are only able to monitor so much. Once our students leave our network, we no longer have the ability to block access to sites that are deemed not appropriate for young children, and young children may not fully understand how to protect themselves and their personal information or how it can be misused. The potential for negative interactions and bullying is significantly higher online, where anonymity can sometimes embolden inappropriate behaviour. It is becoming more obvious that even without anonymity, many young people feel they are more in control behind a computer screen and negative behaviours are being seen by children who would never do or say such things in person. Privacy and cyberbullying aside, screen time is also a major concern for young people. Excessive use of social media and digital devices can impact sleep, academic performance, and physical activity.
As I have mentioned, we cover areas of online privacy, cyberbullying and online safety as part of our curriculum, however there are some key considerations for parents.
- Age restrictions – more social media platforms have age restrictions, typically requiring users to be at least 13 years old, with this age potentially increasing by the end of the year in Australia. This is due to privacy laws and the platform policies.
- Open communication – talk to you child about social media and its risks. Encourage them to come to you if they encounter anything troubling online.
- Setting rules – establish clear guidelines for online use, including time limits and what type of content is appropriate to share.
- Privacy setting – if you allow your child to use social media, ensure that their profiles are set to private so that only approved friends can see their posts.
- Supervision – keep an eye on your child’s social media and device activity. Regularly review their friends and the content they are interacting with.
- Online etiquette – just like we teach our children to be courteous in person, teach your child about respectful communication and the permanent impact of their online actions.
It might be helpful to develop a family contract alongside your child/ren so that everyone is on the same page. I have included a proforma below –
I would also encourage you to be a role model for your child by demonstrating good social media practices through your own behaviour. We are all guilty of spending too much time on our own devices but we must remember that this is what our children see and therefore consider the norm. Encourage offline activities as a family and support your child’s participation in hobbies and social activities that balance screen time.
We often have questions asking how we can restrict what students are accessing when they are at home. Our iPads are managed by the school through software that allows us to monitor what students can access, including the internet, apps and iPad settings. This is managed through our local school network. Once students take their iPads home and connect to their home internet, they are no longer under the restriction that we place on the iPads at school. It is totally dependent on what restrictions are in place at their home.
While there are ways to manage you home devices content and privacy restrictions, given our iPads are centrally managed, we have inbuilt restrictions that can-not be changed. Therefore, when the iPad goes home, these restrictions remain in place. However, what students can access on the internet at home is dependent on your home WIFI restrictions.
‘Some wi-fi routers come with software that allows you to set up parental controls across your whole family wi-fi network. The advantage of this is that the rules you make are applied on all your connected devices — laptops, tablets, smartphones, even game consoles and smart TVs. However, you don't always get the same level of control and monitoring that you get from software installed on each device.
Search online for child-friendly wi-fi products using terms like ‘child friendly routers’, ‘child friendly wi-fi’, ‘family friendly routers’ and ‘child safe wi-fi'.’ (eSafety Commissioner)
Resources for parents –
- https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
- https://www.esafety.gov.au/
- https://www.fosi.org/
- https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/media-technology/online-safety
While social media can be a fun and engaging way for children to connect with others, it's essential to approach it with caution. By staying informed and actively involved, you can help ensure that your child’s online experience is positive and secure. Open communication, clear rules, and ongoing education will go a long way in guiding your child through their social media journey. Keep your eyes on media announcements as Australia and Victoria look to introduce these laws and the great strength it gives us as parents and the community to protect our children
Wendy Bennett
Digital Technologies Coordinator, Blackburn Primary School