Let's Be Cyber Safe!

Students nowadays are glued to their phones, iPads, laptops or any other kind of technological device. Amanda Lenhart describes it perfectly in an article written by Jon Henley. She states “simply, these technologies meet teens’ developmental needs. Mobile phones and social networking sites make the things teens have always done – defining their own identity, establishing themselves as independent of their parents”. As parents, you should understand the risks and dangers that are involved in using ICT outside of school. At home, discuss with your children about using ICT. Perhaps ask yourself;

• When is it appropriate to be using these devices?

• Should I monitor the activity on my child’s device?

DIGITAL INFORMATION SECURITY

Social media is so prominent these days; it has become a part of our everyday lives. Waking up in the morning, the majority of teenagers would be checking their Facebook accounts, Instagram, Snapchat or any other kind of social networking site. Because of this, it is important for them to understand how to protect what they put up online. To be a responsible online citizen, our students need to know about digital information security. It is vital for the students to know how to protect their own personal information online, and what is deemed appropriate.

When at home, perhaps asking them questions or setting guidelines to what they can post is essential in ensuring that their information is kept as private as possible.

Some questions that can be raised include;

• Why is it important to keep our personal information private?

• When creating an online account, should there be any identifiable information in their username?

• What would happen if personal information was to be shared online?

The ‘esafety’ website has a page dedicated to why and how your child can protect themselves when it comes to posting personal information, as well as an online guide to protecting your child to safe and ethical ICT use. The link for that document can be found in the ‘Additional Resource’ page of the blog.

Source: Amy Loder - Youtube