The internet is a part of day-to-day life for most of us and offers entertainment and learning opportunities we would have only dreamt of a decade ago. Sometimes, however, the lines can blur between behaviour that is appropriate and that which puts us at risk, particularly children and young adults.
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We are renewing our focus at MPS to teach students about the responsibility they have each time they use a computer. They are to login using their own user name and password and not to share their password with others. They must also log-off to ensure others do not use their credentials.
Students are taught to use the internet responsibly and the Department of Education has firewalls to prevent students from accessing inappropriate material at school. Interestingly, studies show that many parents don’t always understand what their children are doing online, so here are some tips that you might find helpful.
The Parent Line can also help you with the tools needed to talk openly with your child about cyber-safety. Parent Line’s phone number is 1300 1300 52.
Talk to your child about the consequences of inappropriate use of computers. Monitor your child’s online presence more easily by having the computer in the living areas of your home. Give your child clear rules on what they can and can’t do when using the internet and monitor text messages. Never allow your child to meet up with new online friends without your supervision. Remind your child that there are key pieces of information they should never share online, including addresses, photos and video footage.
