As a mum of two, a 13 year old daughter and a 6 year old son, I worry about the dangers of them being online.
Neither of my children hardly watch TV anymore. My son loves to watch videos on YouTube, while my daughter prefers to spend time on Xbox Live, her iPad, her laptop or on her iPhone.
As a parent, we try to keep our kids safe in all areas of their lives, be it holding their hand while crossing the road, or making sure they have a seatbelt on.
Being online is no different. I know parents who think that because they don't understand how modern day technology works, they think they can't help.
There are many ways we can help to keep our kids safer online and allow them to enjoy the wonders of the internet while keeping safe. The main one is to talk to your child and ask what they like watching online, be involved in their online world from an early age.
Today is Safer Internet Day.
I have been working with an amazing team at Internet Matters, who are committed to help parents understand and learn about how we can keep our children safe online.
Don't know where to start? Feel over-faced by the amount of advice?
InternetMatters.org is a non-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping parents with easy to follow step-by-step instructions from setting broadband filters, restrictions on smart phones to guides on apps and what to do if your child is being cyberbullied.
Below are a list of 14 videos I have made with the help of Internet Matters and here is a good place to start.
Please do leave a comment or get in touch if I can help with any questions you may have.
I have recorded a series of vlogs in the following categories:
- Introduction: What is e-safety all about
- How to encourage kids to have a positive impact online
- What to do if my child is being cyberbullied
- What is Musical.ly and how to keep kids safe on it
- Intro to Instagram
- Parent tips: Snapchat introduction
- How do my kids use Snapchat
- Mums Snapchat diary
- Child e-safety stories in the news
- E-safety questions from real parents
- Internet Matters e-safety app demo
- Online gaming safety tips to keep kids safe
- Setting restrictions on an iPhone
- Setting parental controls on YouTube
- Tips on setting broadband filters
A recent survey has revealed that 6-year-olds are now as digitally advanced as 10-year-olds were 3 years ago! Have a look at this infographic from Internet Matters.