Technology in the Care Environment
A printable version of this article is available for download in two parts at the bottom of this page.
Where do children access the internet?
At what age should my child be allowed to access the internet?
Knowing the right age for a child to be accessing the internet depends on their level of maturity.
Questions to consider:
Does my child have a good sense of responsibility?
Are they able to stick to rules?
Do they show good understanding of actions and consequences?
Do they come to me or another adult when they are distressed or encounter problems?
For those who are not yet ready for a smart device a mobile phone without internet access may be a better option, introducing a smart phone when they demonstrate an appropriate level of maturity.
Setting Time Online
There is no exact number on how much screen time is the right amount, this is dependent on factors such as:
The child's age.
The child's level of maturity.
The type of content they are consuming.
The learning needs of the child.
The family's routine.
It is important to maintain balance within screen time and other activities such as sports, school, and face-to-face interaction with family and friends.
Setting Rules for Internet Use
Establish rules for the use of the internet and devices within the home, with clear expectations and consequences.
Rules could include:
No phones after a certain time except in emergencies.
Have limits to daily screen time (e.g. 1 hour per school night).
Family time is a no-phone zone (e.g. dinner).
Have areas in the house where these devices cannot be used (e.g. bedrooms) to allow supervision.
Do not share your real name (or full name), your age, address when posting, or interact with strangers or on sites where anyone can see.
Be kind to people - treating people the same as you would face-to-face.
Do not take or share photos of others (including friends) without their permission.
Have adequate privacy settings.
Do not purchase or download an app or game without talking to parent or carer first, especially as these have minimum age requirements.
Online Gaming
Many online games can improve your child's coordination, problem-solving skills and multi-tasking, as well as help build social skills through online activity with other players.
However, there are risks associated with online gaming such as:
Spending too much time gaming, which can can have negative impacts on your child's health, ability to study, and social and emotional wellbeing.
Bullying and grooming through online or in-game chat.
Games with gambling-like elements can normalise gambling for young people.
Cost of in-game spending.
Unwanted Contact and Grooming
Unwanted contact is any type of communication that your child finds unpleasant or confronting, or that leads them into a situation where they might do something they regret. This can happen even if they initially welcomed the contact. It can come from strangers, online 'friends' your child has not met face-to-face or from someone they actually know.
To avoid unwanted contact:
Make their accounts private.
Monitor accounts.
Delete contacts they don't talk to.
Report and block.
Delete requests from strangers.
Grooming involves building a relationship with a child in order to take advantage of them. This can happen in a physical meeting, but increasingly occurs online when young people are tricked or persuaded into activity on webcams or sending sexual images.
Signs Technology is Becoming a Problem
Less interest in social activities like:
Meeting friends or playing sports.
Not doing so well at school.
Tiredness, sleep disturbance, headaches, eye strain.
Changes in eating patterns.
Reduced personal hygiene.
Obsession with particular games or websites.
Extreme anger when being asked to take a break.
Becoming withdrawn from friends.
What Can I Do?
Stay engaged and encourage balance.
Build good habits.
Be involved.
Create a plan together.
Use the available security technologies.
Negotiate key rules together and agree ahead of time.
Set device free zones at home.
Lead by example.
Encourage good sense of self.
Teach your child to be alert of signs of inappropriate contact.
Establish safety guidelines for meeting online friends face-to-face.
Be vigilant.
Keep your child connected to family and friends.
Establish a plan for if something goes wrong.
Social Media
Social networking sites allow people to stay connected with family and friends. This is particularly beneficial for socially or physically isolated individuals, such as those with a physical disability or those from rural or remote areas. For many young people and adults, social media engagement is seen as being no different to their offline interactions with people. The physical age of a child, their level of maturity, and resilience can affect their ability to have positive experiences on social media.
On average, children aged 10 to 14 years old have 2 active social media accounts.
These can include; Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube
The risks of Social Media
Sharing of personal information.
This includes the sharing of an individual's full name, birthday, age, home address, phone number, email address, something that shows their face, something that shows their school uniform and the name of their school.
Other risks:
Anonymity - It can be easier to say and do things online that you might not do offline.
Sharing too much - Images which are okay for close friends can become an issue if shared more widely.
Online friends vs. real friends - It is easy for people to lie online. It is important to be careful about how well you really know your online 'friends'.
Location services - Many social networking sites use location services; this can allow people to physically locate people on these sites.
FOMO - Having a fear of missing out of seeing others partaking in activities.
Cyber Bullying
Cyberbullying is the use of technology to bully a person or group with the intent to hurt them socially, psychologically or even physically.
Cyber bullying can include using instant messaging, social networking sites, blogs, online games, phone calls, video calls and SMS or MMS to:
Post or share embarrassing videos or images
Exclude or intimidate others
Repeatedly send threatening messages
Harass others online
Send or share hurtful or abusive messages
Participate in malicious online gossip or chat.
Signs to watch for:
Being upset after using the internet or phone
Changes in personality: becoming more withdrawn, anxious, sad or angry
Appearing more lonely or distressed
Unexpected changes in friendship groups
A decline in sleep patterns
Avoidance of school or clubs
A decline in physical health
Becoming secretive about online activities and mobile phone use.
What can I do about Cyber Bullying?
Talk with your child about cyber bullying before it happens, creating strategies to address any potential issues and reassure them you will be there to support them.
Listen, think and stay calm. Try to remain calm, open minded and non-judgemental.
Collect evidence. Have screenshots of bullying behaviour in case it needs to be reported.
Block and manage contact with others. Advise your child not to respond to these messages and help block or unfriend the people sending these messages.
Report to site or service. Many social media, games, apps and websites allow you to report abusive content and request that it is removed.
Get help and support. Check in with your child regularly about how they feel. If you notice any changes that concern you, seek counselling or other support services.
Pornography and Inappropriate Content
It is natural and healthy for young people to be curious about bodies and sexuality, but the ease in which young people access pornography and produce their own sexual imagery online creates a range of challenges and risks.
How do kids find pornography online?
Your child may actively search for explicit content out of curiosity or perhaps because their friends are talking about it.
A friend or sibling (or adult) may share inappropriate content.
Your child could accidentally type the wrong word or phrase into an internet search or click a link to something that looks interesting but turns out to be pornographic.
They might click on links in phishing, spam emails, or pop-ups (even on harmless websites).
How can I protect my child?
Set some house rules: Discus the issue with all siblings and talk about where and when it is ok to use computers and devices.
Stay engaged: Talking regularly and openly with your child about what they are doing online will help build trust.
Use the available technology: Take advantage of the parental controls available on devices, and ensure 'safe search' mode is enabled on browsers.
Build resilience: Talking about sexualised content can help young people process what they come across online and reinforce the importance of consent and respectful relationships.
Consider raising the subject of pornography yourself, where age appropriate. This will protect your child from the potential impacts of coming across this content accidentally.
Take a long-term view. Reinforce that if they see something they do not understand, they can ask you about it.
Nudes and Sexting
"Sexting" is a term that the adult and media world use to refer to sending photos of sexual nature using digital technology. Depending on the age, nude photographs can constitute child pornography.
What can nudes and sexting incorporate?
The creating, sharing, sending or posting of sexually explicit messages or images via the internet, social media, mobile phones or other electronic devices.
Other terms used to describe sexting include 'sending pics', 'nudes', 'N00dz' and 'dick pics'.
Young people may engage in this behaviour for various reasons including intimacy with their partner; in the hope to gain a partner; the belief that it is the 'norm' in young relationships, gained from seeing other young people to do it in the media; or through exposure to pornography.
Ghost, decoy or vault apps can be used to hide images. These include Secret Calculator, Hide It Pro and NQ Vault.
Apps such as SnapChat are used for sharing as they use 'erasable' images that 'disappear' after a short period of time, although entire deletion is not guaranteed.
Images-based Abuse
Commonly referred to as 'revenge porn' within media, nude or sexual images are shared without consent of those in the picture. 'Sextortion' is when someone threatens to share an individuals private images if victims do not provide images of a sexual nature, sexual favours or money.
What can I do if i suspect my child is accessing pornography or inappropriate content?
Do not panic.
Talk to your child calmly and try to find out as much about the matter as you can.
Use your discretion to manage the issue and avoid judgement and labelling.
Encourage open discussion with your child about what content they might be sharing, why they do it or why they would do it.
Consider seeking advice from support services or your child's school.
Understand the police may be involved.
How to have a conversation with your child about their internet use
1. Plan
Work out what you want to say and how you want to say it, depending on the issue. Go somewhere together where you can talk privately. Being within an environment where you can talk without interruption can make things more comfortable for everyone. Talking while doing something together, such as a walk or a car trip. Think of some positive examples of good behaviour that you can use to contrast negative or harmful behaviours.
2. Listen, don't judge
Let your child know you are there to help them, no matter what. Listening will also help you understand their attitudes and respond to specific issues.
3. Ask questions
Asking questions about how they feel and what they know helps you to gauge your child's level of knowledge and keeps you from lecturing.
4. Get help if you need it
You could seek advice from a counsellor. Your child's teacher may also be able to point you towards suitable resources to help you explain things.
Talking about Sexting and pornography with your child
These tips might provide some useful prompts, but you should tailor the discussion based on your knowledge of your child and their level of maturity and development.
'Do any of the kids at school ever talk about it?' Sometimes asking questions about your child's peers feels safer; sometimes questions about your child may be too confronting.
If they have seen it, ask 'Did someone show it to you, or did you find it yourself?' This can open a conversation to help find out what you can about how they have found it and why they were searching for it.
If you know your child has been exposed to (or is viewing) pornography, it is better to say, 'When I found you looking at pornography the other night...' rather than act as if it didn't happen.
If they have seen it, reassure they are not it trouble. Ask, 'When you saw it, how did it make you feel?' . Discuss those feelings.
Check if your child has any other questions and that you have explained things enough for them. Let them know any question is OK to ask, nothing is off limits and that if you are unable to answer one of their questions, that you will find out the answer. Then use this as an opportunity to have another talk.
