There’s no doubt that screen time increases drastically over the school holidays, so it’s critical that students are taught to keep themselves safe in the online world. Spending time on devices has become the norm, especially with the younger generations, but no matter your age, you should beware of the dangers of the digital world.
With some schools already on holiday and others soon to be, we need to know how to have effective conversations about being online and online behaviour. ChildNet recommends sitting down as a family and having your child show you their favourite sites and things they like to do online. This is a good way to keep up with your child’s online life and show them that you’re interested in what they enjoy doing. These kinds of conversations are a great time to remind your child that they can come to you if anything ever upsets them online.
If you’re heading out for the holidays, remind your kids to be careful with the images and videos they might share. Kids love showing off what they’re doing during their holidays. Make sure there are no landmarks or obvious clues as to where you are and only post the images or videos once you are home from your holiday.
While screen time during the holidays does increase, it’s more about the quality of the screen time rather than the quantity of it. Find productive ways to use your devices and get your family to join you. Instead of watching a movie, try reading an eBook or working on a skill. It’s all about how you spend your time on devices. Encourage your kids to do the same. Keeping your family safe online can be overwhelming at the best of times. That’s why we’ve compiled an extensive school-based programme that teaches students and parents how to be smart digital citizens. Additionally, CyberSharp Protect is available to businesses and individuals. It monitors threats like cyberbullying, intolerance, and violence, detects harmful or illicit items such as weapons in images and alerts for negative sentiment related to self-harm, depression, and bullying. Protecting yourself and your family has never been easier.