Feeling confident helps us feel good, and this Friday we wanted to share tips and hints on how we can feel more confident when discussing online safety which here at Young People at Heart have recently completed training about.
The virtual world is forever growing, and we can at times struggle to keep up with new apps, games and trends which young people talk about and discuss with a much better knowledge than we do. As a result of this, we provided training to support carers to not only safeguard young people but identify strategies to support them engaging in conversations with young people about the internet.
Here are our top three tips for online safety:
- Speak to young people about what they do on the internet.
Honesty is the best policy, and having an open conversation with young people about what they do on the internet is a great starting point. Be mindful that this should not be an interrogation as this can cause a barrier to open communication. You can ask young people questions like “what is the latest trends on TikTok” or “who is the current celebrity you are following” or “what have you learnt online this week”. I am often surprised about what young people can learn on TikTok, from ways to clean stains of clothing, to how to easily peel eggs and how to undo rope if you were tied up. Again, the internet has a variety of uses but having open discussions without judgement enables you to build a safe space to speak about the internet and address concerns or worries in the future.
- Ask young people to show you apps they use.
Whilst it sounds strange, you can be a bit naïve and ask young people to show you what they are doing. You can always ask them to show you the apps they use and ask them to show you what is a “for you page” or what is on their “newsfeed”. You can ask them to show you how they would look for something on TikTok and enable young people to educate you. This again can provide a natural conversation about how they also keep themselves safe online and you can ask them to show you how they check their safety features. Doing this side by side reduces conflict, promotes an open conversation and supports young people feeling included. This can also be done on games and online programs, sit with the young person, ask them to teach you how to play the game and maybe spend time playing it with them and entering their virtual world. This will enable you to have more understanding of what children and young people feel and experience within the virtual world.
- Try to keep up to date with parental controls and safety measures.
The main word to emphasise here is “try”. Too often we will become frustrated with ourselves when young people get through a parental control. Unfortunately, even with every best intention young people can get around controls and there are things online that are not what is expected. We can only do the best that we can do, and we know every effort is always made to support young people being safe online. There are lots of helpful guides online which can show you how to set up parental controls, we recommend spending time researching what programs work best for you and the family as well as those which are relevant.
I recommend looking at the following website links who provide helpful hints and tips:
Broadband Parental Controls & Mobile Network Settings | Internet Matters
Video gaming, consoles and platforms parental controls | Internet Matters
Social Media Parental Controls and Privace Settings | Internet Matters
But please remember, it is always good to ask for help and support when needed. Use the support of your family, friends and the professionals involved. We all want the best outcomes for the children and young people we support and that means working together as a team.