Digital Wellbeing 

 

As we navigate the digital world together, we kindly remind families to stay active and involved in their children's online lives. It has come to our attention that some of our students are engaging in online gaming and using apps—including social platforms and chat features—that are not age-appropriate. While playing games with friends can be fun, unmonitored online spaces can sometimes lead to unsafe interactions and incidents of cyberbullying. 

 

We encourage parents to regularly check age ratings on games, monitor app usage, and have open conversations at home about kindness, digital citizenship, and safe online behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to keep our students safe, respectful, and supported both at school and online.

 

Online gaming provides children with lots of opportunities for skill development, beneficial play, creativity, self-expression, belonging, and social connection. To make sure they get the most out of gaming, parents and carers also need to help them build skills to navigate risks and put in safeguards. 

 

Are you familiar with the benefits or the risks your child might be experiencing whilst playing online games? Regardless of the console or device they use, what type of game they play, if they play alone or with others, or how often they play, it is important to understand your child’s unique gaming experience. Playing online games with your children is a great way to learn more about their interests, while also developing a greater understanding of how they interact and communicate with others online. 

 

When adults get involved in positive ways it can also strengthen family relationships and enable families to manage conflict about gaming in more productive ways. 

 

For more information on gaming and simple tips for how you can make this a safer and more positive experience, go to eSafety's gaming guide for families 

 

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/gaming

 

The eSafety Guide includes the latest platforms, games, and apps, with information on how to apply safety and privacy settings, and how to report abuse or other harmful behaviours.