With the school running online classes, it is important that we are all aware of the safety issues surrounding devices.

It can be daunting trying to understand the technology that students are using, and the reliance that they now seem to have on this technology. I was reflecting yesterday with my kids about how it used to take an age for the internet to connect, and even when we tried, no-one else could be on the phone at that time. Now, kids can connect instantly, from anywhere. Technology is changing quickly, and what might be popular now may not be tomorrow and so it can be difficult to keep up with what is being used. Attached is a toolkit put out by Netsafe called the Online Safety Parent Toolkit. The toolkit looks at seven steps to guide parents about the conversations they can have with their children around online issues. It can be found at:

https://www.netsafe.org.nz/online-safety-parent-toolkit/

The toolkit has links to a variety of different information around issues within cyberspace and how we can support and protect our children around decision-making when online. Ensuring open lines of communication, about issues like cyber-bullying, is important. Making sure that the children know who to talk to if things don’t go to plan is an important part of the toolkit, and is worth exploring further.

The Ministry of Education is also aware of the issues surrounding the difficulties with learning from home and has launched a free way to block the worst of the internet at home. This can be found at www.switchonsafety.co.nz. By following instructions on the site, you can set up your child’s device for safety. While not 100% perfect, combined with the toolkit above, you will be able to have a little more confidence in what your daughter is viewing.