As schools around Australia move in and out of online learning during lockdown periods, it’s important to factor in the online safety of students. As students are spending more time online, their ICT skills continue to develop and they are becoming ever more comfortable with technologies.

Internet Safety Tips

The negative impact of this increased confidence means that online safety of our students has never been more important. Our children are selecting to interact with online games such as Roblox, Fortnite, Among Us, Discord etc which allows them to chat and play online with people that they know. However, some children are also interacting with unfamiliar people, which can include adults. There have also been instances where students have been exposed to inappropriate movie or game content which they then discuss at school with their peers – which is unacceptable.

While some games have educational content, many of the most popular games emphasise negative themes and they can have elements which are inappropriate for primary aged children.

Studies of children who have been exposed to violent video games for long periods of time have shown that they may become numb to violence, imitate the violence, or show more aggressive behaviours.

Children and adolescents can become overly involved with videogames and they may have difficulty controlling the amount of time they spend playing online games each day. Spending excessive time playing these games can impact on the time that students spend with their family and friends and makes social situations difficult. The manner with which video games stimulate the brain, can also lead to poor sleep patterns which have a wider impact on student’s everyday lives, in particular educationally.

Tips for Parents
There are many educational games that students can access at any age - however it is important that parents regulate their use - the use of a timer to limit the amount of screen time that students are exposed to - is one suggestion.

Ensuring that if children are playing online - parents should know who the gamers are that their child is interacting with. It is always best to play against local friends - and not invite strangers into online games or virtual worlds.

It is also vitally important that parents only allow video game playing or movie watching in the public areas of the home - no devices (xBox, Play Stations, I-pads, tablets or phones) should be accessed in a child’s bedroom without an adult present. This would ensure children are getting the necessary hours of sleep to ensure they are ready for school each and every day.

Checking the age rating on the game, app, film or social network is a great guide as to whether they’re suitable for your child. The minimum age limit is 13 for several social networking sites and these should be adhered to.

Partnerships between home and school are vital. Together we can support each other in providing our children with strong messages about online safety and clear pathways to get support. Keep safe!