PARENTS need to become more involved in their children’s online lives with almost 30 per cent aware that their children have had a negative experience online, says Federal MP for Reid, Dr Fiona Martin.
Those alarming figures were released by the eSafety Commissioner as part of an initiative launched last week on Safer Internet Day, which includes a new Online Safety for under 5s booklet, offering parents, carers and teachers the practical resources to talk to children about both the benefits and dangers of the internet.
Dr Martin encouraged everyone to embrace the 2020 Safer Internet Day theme and to ‘start the chat’ about internet safety.
“With a background as an educational and developmental psychologist, I particularly encourage parents, carers and teachers to access the information available on the eSafety website,” she said.
“The range of free resources offers practical advice about how you can help the next generation of Australians grow up in a safer online world.”
Describing it as an opportunity for the entire community to talk about the risks faced on the internet, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said it was also a conversation that families need to have daily in living rooms across Australia.
“Parents need to become as involved in their children’s online lives as they are in their everyday lives, from the moment they hand them a digital device,” she said.
“It all starts with ‘the chat’ – with letting your child know that, along with all the wonders of the internet, there are serious risks there for them too.
For more information, visit esafety.gov.au/SID.
Get to know child online
