Safer Internet Day

‘Safer Internet Day’ is taking place on the 9th February and this year’s theme is: “An internet we trust: exploring reliability in the online world”.

As homeschooling has now become the ‘new normal’ for a vast majority of the UK population, internet safety is more important than ever as our children are left to their own devices.

We’ve gathered together some top tips from the UK Safer Internet Centre for Parents and Carers on how to keep your children safe online. Check them out below:

1. Talk regularly with your child, learn about how they use technology and where they go for information online.
2. Check in with your child, ask them what they have seen online and how does it makes them feel.
3. Remind your child that not everything they read online is true and that content can be put there by anyone, therefore it may be unreliable.
4. There are lots of sites (in particular games) that allow communication between users. Explain to your child to be aware of strangers when online and that it is best to only speak to people they already know, like your family and close friends.
5. Remind your child to never share any personal information online.
6. Check your privacy settings on the Apps that your children want to use, they may include features that allow you to control who your child can interact with and what they can see or download.
7. Let your child know that if they’re unsure about anything online that it is best to speak to a trusted adult immediately. For example, this might include receiving a friend request; or online message; or being asked to visit a specific website.
8. Speak to other parents and carers and ask how they are addressing misleading online content.