By Jo Budden
02 February 2016 – 08:06
To mark Safer Web Day on 9 February 2016, Jo Budden, editor of our LearnEnglish Teens web site, takes a glance at the problems while offering some practical recommendations.
Lots of people think teenagers today are light-years in front of many grownups in terms of utilizing technology. Young adults utilize their phones and pills so quickly and obviously they know all there is to know about the online world that it’s easy to believe. Nevertheless, teens usually have a complete great deal to understand in terms of remaining safe on the internet and once you understand how to proceed if issues arise.
A recently available survey through the National community when it comes to Protection of Cruelty to kids (NSPCC) unveiled this 1 in four teenagers in britain has seen one thing upsetting on a social media website. Among these young kiddies, 58 percent were upset by somebody they just knew on line. Just 22 percent associated with kiddies that has a poor online experience talked to some body about their issue.
These statistics highlight two essential points. The foremost is that people should do more to encourage young adults to speak about their experiences online if we are to help keep them safe. The second reason is that a ‘friend’ means various things to various people in various contexts – online, the term assumes on a entire new meaning. Numerous teenagers have ‘friends’ inside their social networking which they’ve never met: these could be buddies of buddies or individuals who share a comparable interest such as online video video video gaming. Nevertheless the known simple truth is, quite often, they don’t truly know whom their ‘friends’ actually are. This might keep them in an exceedingly position that is vulnerable.
Therefore whoever task could it be to simply help guide teenagers through the electronic environment that happens to be a element of their everyday lives given that they had been born?
Specialists in the location claim that grownups want to play a part that is active. Using a back-seat and let’s assume that young adults instinctively know how to behave online can be extremely dangerous. Rather, parents, instructors and youth workers should bring the topic up of online security with young adults and use the lead in motivating safe online behavior.
Making an agreement between parents and kids
Developers of the recently launched software called Our Pact have actually recognised that moms and dads usually desire a assisting hand with leading kids towards safe on line behavior. The idea is not difficult: moms and dads communicate with kids about how exactly they invest their time that is online and signal an agreement together with them in the utilization of their cellular devices. The software allows moms and dads to manage the actual quantity of time kids have access to Wi-Fi and exactly just what apps they are able to make use of. The concept is encourage a fluid dialogue between parents and young ones about their online usage.
To date, the very early adopters that i have find out about and chatted to appear pleased with just how it’s working. In my opinion, the present launch of the application is an indication that moms and dads would like to tackle the subject along with their kids head-on.
Methods for helping learners remain safe online
In addition to moms and dads, instructors also can play an important role in making certain teens get the maximum benefit out from the internet. This calls for presenting all kinds of digital literacy abilities such as for instance simple tips to look for information effortlessly, and just how to evaluate the dependability of various sources.
Additionally it is helpful to possess some basic concepts or directions for learners while using the internet, like those we now have developed on LearnEnglish Teens.
- Be good to individuals online
- Be careful with just what you share
- Keep personal information private
- Check always your privacy settings
- Understand how to report articles
- Maintain your passwords safe
- Never ever satisfy anybody face-to-face you’ve just met online
- In the event that you see such a thing online that you don’t like or perhaps you find upsetting, inform some one you trust
Tasks and resources for motivating online safety
These instructions come in a reading activity, a paying attention activity and a video clip, most of which have already been created for teens with reduced quantities of English. For anyone at greater levels, there’s a longer reading text about online security into the UK, a test which asks learners if they’re good electronic residents, and a reading task about electronic footprints to encourage learners to be careful in what they share.
Songs are a definite way that is great capture young people’s attention. To commemorate final year’s Safer Web Day, GMC Beats rap workshops caused Webwise Ireland to produce a brilliant track complete of strong, online security communications. LearnEnglish Teens has created online help materials and worksheets in order that learners of English may also enjoy particularly this track, gives online security advice and reminds us that the net is a great tool for learning and having a great time.
The Premier techniques English internet site has some online product in a comic format that brings a number of the much more serious problems of online safety to light in a way that is really original.
The comics cope with the difficulties of fulfilling people in real world you share online that you’ve only met online, and also taking care with what.
However elect to mention online safety, it is never too soon to begin. LearnEnglish Kids could be the British Council’s learner web site for 5- to 12-year-olds, and you can find safety that is online and a test to introduce clear on line security communications to youngsters. There’s additionally advice and strategies for moms and dads. Additional support for instructors is supplied regarding the TeachingEnglish internet site. This concept plan offers guidance and structure how instructors might take the subject in their classrooms.
Any time is a good time for speaing frankly about online security utilizing the young adults you reside with or use, therefore if you’re reading this after 9 February 2016, don’t wait for the following year. Speak about it now.
Check out the Uk Council’s dedication to son or daughter security to check out what’s taking place for Safer Web Day utilising the hashtags #SID2016 and #SafeOnlineSpace.
