Practical Tips to Protect Your Child
"The health and well being of young children using digital technology is important and includes children's physical activity, posture, sleep, emotions and social interactions."
Early Childhood Australia 2018
Last week I was caught in a moment where I looked at my family (including myself) that involved each of us sitting on the lounge with the TV on and we were all on a device. As I pondered this moment in reflection of some research that Early Childhood Australia has published on the health and well being of young children using digital technology, I could see the four concerns that were raised right before me. These were; reduced opportunities for physical play, reduced opportunities for gross motor activities, poor posture and impact on vision. As a parent I couldn't gauge what my 3 children were viewing even though we have content filters, the quality of appropriateness of the content and we certainly had given in to a sense of slothfulness and disengagement from each other. It was in this moment, that the TV went off, our devices went away and our new puppy got the walk that we all needed.
As a parent there is so much to consider when entering into the world of technology and not all of it warrants concern. However, the eSafety Commissioner has identified that 'we' the parents did not necessarily grow up with the vast array of technologies that our children do nor did we have to be concerned with the safety of using it, but this is the reality of our children. Unfortunately, our children need us to advocate for them and here are 3 tips to support us in the process.
- Model good screen habits. From a baby, your child has watched your every move. Think about how much time you as a family believe that devices such as phones should be picked up and checked. Follow this link for some more information: https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/blog/how-model-good-screen-practices-your-child
- Set some ground rules on how to stay safe while on a device. This includes the use of pop ups and how much information to share on a device. Here is a great Play School episode that you could watch with your child. https://www.abc.net.au/abckids/shows/play-school/kiya-ebirthday/12172742
- Begin talking about how to use screens safely. Share with your child what you are doing on your device so that they can see the technology being used for everyday purposes rather than a tool for entertainment. Find apps and appropriately aged content to co-view with your child so that they can see how to use technology safely. The four key messages around the use of technology for children are: Be Safe, Be Kind, Ask for Help and Make Good Choices. For further reading on how to make good content choices: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/children-under-5/how-choose-good-online-content
I was recently contacted by the eSafety Commissioners Principal Consultant who is looking to collect data on the usefulness of the booklet that you receive in your Communication Pockets a few weeks ago. Here is here address:
Parents and Carers
Are you a parent or carer who has downloaded or viewed the ‘Online Safety for Under 5s’ Booklet developed by the eSafety Commissioner (eSafety)? If so, eSafety would love to hear about your thoughts on the booklet. eSafety has appointed Synergistiq, an independent research company, to evaluate parent and carer experiences with this resource.
What’s involved? A one hour online focus group
Why participate? Your feedback will help to shape the development of future eSafety resources
Your feedback will be anonymous and provided with others in a report to eSafety. You will be compensated for your time with a voucher. If you haven’t participated in an online focus group before, you will be provided with all the information you need. To find out more and/or register your interest, please click on this link: https://www.synergistiq.com/evaluation-of-esafetys-early-years-resources/
Participation is voluntary. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact Nicole Donaldson, Principal Consultant, on 03 9946 6800 or at nicole.donaldson@synergistiq.com
All the best as you continue to navigate the tech world with your child,
Jacqui
https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/children-under-5