The rise of social media and a range of Internet-based platforms has transformed the way we engage and communicate.
The online landscape has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Despite the benefits, there are risks associated with using the Internet, and parents and their children should be made aware to ensure a positive online experience.
The whole family should ensure they are adequately protected when going online. Be cybersmart and consider ways you can reduce potential risks. Teaching children about online bullying is as serious as in 'real life' is as important as teaching them about online privacy. As a parent or guardian, supervise and educate your child with clear guidelines about what is and is not acceptable.
There is also a range of tools to help monitor and limit a child's activity online. Such tools can:
- Block children from accessing particular websites;
- Filter different forms of content (e.g. sexual content)
- Enable parents to adjust the tool setting so children can access appropriately aged content.
Your online safety. Our priority.
The eSafety Commissioner helps you have a safer experience online. This independent regulator educates Australians about online safety risks and helps remove harmful content such as the cyberbullying of children, adult cyber abuse and intimate images or videos shared without consent.
Find more online safety advice or find it in your language here.
Cyberbullying is when someone uses the internet to be mean to a child or young person, so they feel bad or upset.
Adult cyber abuse is when the internet is used to send, post or share content that is harmful to the physical or mental health of someone who is 18 or older.
Image-based abuse is sharing, or threatening to share, an intimate image or video of a person without their consent.
Illegal and restricted content includes material that shows or encourages child sexual abuse, terrorism or other extreme violence
Grandparents and carers have a special bond with the children in their lives.
One of the great things about being a grandparent is that you get to experience the joy of playing with and loving your grandchildren without being responsible for them in the same way their parents are. But you also have an important role to play when it comes to online safety.
Using computers and other internet-connected devices can be a great way for kids to play, learn and socialise. However, you need to be careful to protect the online safety of the children in your life.
Knowing how to help them can be tricky, especially if you are not a tech expert. The eSafety Commissioner’s Online safety for grandparents and carers guide has been designed to make it easier for you.