And now a word from
Mrs Richards...
Children and Social Media
This is a hot topic at the moment with Newscorp’s Let Them Be Kids campaign flooding newspapers and the 36 Months petition gaining momentum in trying to increase the acceptable age for social media apps from 13 to 16. The statistics that are being quoted are frightening.
- In the past 5 years the Child Exploitation Internet Unit has grown from 4 officers to 24 targeting online predators.
- In the last 20 years in Australia, 700 people have been charged with targeting children online.
- 4 in 10 Australian teens now suffer from mental health distress with experts drawing a link in a rise in cases with the use of social media.
- 70% of teens have had a negative experience on social media.
- 1 in 3 teens have been exposed to disturbing or graphic content.
- 1 in 4 teens have been cyberbullied or sexually harassed.
- 59% of teens have been victims of scams.
The social media world of apps such as Tik Tok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, X (all of which currently require a minimum age of 13 ) can be entertaining and a way of maintaining social contact but they can also be environments used by online predators to groom children and as bullying platforms by other children and adults. Inbuilt algorithms encourage ongoing internet use and children can be very easily exposed to adult themes, graphic violence and pornography.
Over the last few years, I have published quite a few newsletter articles on the subject of social media for primary school age children. We all want to keep our children safe and ultimately the decision as to whether children have phones and access to social media on devices such as computers, tablets and ipads, is a decision that is yours to make as parents.
At school we provide the students with education on appropriate use of the internet and privacy and these lessons are ongoing each year with visits to older children by police and experts in cybersafety. We will continue to provide parents with information and advice as to how to keep our children safe in online environments.
The Esafety Commission have a really useful website with commonsense advice for parents regarding use of social media and mobile phones.
Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge 2024
I mentioned on Compass this week, that Parkdale Primary School are participating in the Premier’s Reading Challenge.
The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is not a competition; but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 6th September 2024. Children from Prep to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’ 30 books with their parents and teachers ( 20 or more must be from the Challenge list). Children from Year 3 to Year 10 are challenged to read 15 books ( 10 or more must be from the challenge list).
These books are a combination of free choice reads and a set number of designated Premiers’ Reading Challenge titles. Some of these books you may have at home, some can be sourced from the library or online.
The link to the book list is included in the details below. All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former Premiers.
To read the Premier’s letter to parents, view the booklist and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-reading-challenge
If you would like your child to participate in this year’s challenge, please email me and I will provide you with their individual log in details and instructions. Tracy.richards@education.vic.gov.au
(Photo illustration at the top of this page: Jack Forbes/Yahoo News; photos: Getty Images)