Talk Early, Talk Often: Conversations the Key to Instilling Online Safety in Children
By: Jess Drummond
As the federal government moves towards legislating social media age restrictions for children due to issues around mental and physical health, bullying, and online safety, concerns are surfacing about whether such bans could isolate young people further.
Paul Ninnes, co-founder and managing director of Real Talk Australia, an organisation that provides education and resources on topics such as relationships, wellbeing, identity, and e-safety, says he is relieved that the discussion is taking place.
“The initial wave of media dialogue on this was speaking about the connection between social media use and the harms upon young people and I think that’s a really good conversation” Paul said.
“The [more] recent media commentary has been, ‘Hey, we’re swinging too far by banning this, and I think that’s probably also useful in some cases; as a balancing opinion, it’s also helpful. I’d love to see us land somewhere in the middle.”
Everyone Needs Healthy Boundaries with the ‘Net
Paul says people of all ages need to implement safeguards to have a healthy interaction with the internet, and that there are several ways we can do this.
“One [tip] is to create some limitations to screens [and] the amount of internet access that we all have. In particular, with young people we need to guide them on that – consult and dialogue with them and explain why.
“We can create some things on our phone that limit the addictive nature of them [such as putting the screen in greyscale mode or disabling apps]. We can also do that in particular apps and programs, such as Google SafeSearch.”
Paul says there are also measures we can take on a practical level, but that the most important strategies come from within.
Start the Conversation Before They Log On
Parents are urged to talk to children about online safety from a young age.
“It shocks a lot of people, but I suggest you need to have pretty deliberate conversations before a young person has internet access,” Paul said. “We need to be talking to kids before school age about how screens can be addictive, and how they may encounter things that are harmful and unsettling.
“We also need to give them some scaffolding and guidelines on how to respond to that because most young people have no idea.”
Don’t Disconnect From the Conversation
Paul says these conversations are not a one-time thing, but an ongoing process.
“It’s a journey that is age-appropriate, tailored to your young person, and then is circling back and taking everyday moments to speak into that situation as it arises.”
While Paul acknowledges that landmark conversations are important, they can also be scary – but he assures parents that ‘Done is better than perfect’.
“The biggest tip I give to parents is a quote from G.K. Chesterton, which says, ‘If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly’. Now, that’s not permission to do [intentionally] something poorly [but] to do something even if you find it difficult and even if you think you’re not going to do it well.”
Article supplied with thanks to 96five.
Feature image: Photo by Emily Wade on Unsplash
