Teenagers use digital technologies for everyday activities like keeping in touch with friends on social media, relaxing and doing schoolwork. They also go online to look for support for physical or mental health problems, and sometimes to experiment with different ways of expressing themselves.

Because they’re online so much without your supervision, teenagers need to be able to identify acceptable and unacceptable online content independently. They also need to know how to behave respectfully online and avoid online risks.

Internet safety risks for teenagers

There are three main kinds of internet risks for teenagers.

Content risks
For teenagers, these risks include coming across material that they might find upsetting, disgusting or otherwise uncomfortable, especially if they encounter it accidentally. This material might include:

• pornography
• real or simulated violence
• hate sites
• terrorist sites
• harmful user-generated content like sites about drug use, self-harm, suicide or negative body image.

Contact risks
These risks include coming into contact with adults posing as children online or with strangers who persuade teenagers to meet them in real life, or becoming the victim of online scammers.

Conduct risks
Conduct risks include behaving in inappropriate or hurtful ways, or being the victim of this kind of behaviour. Examples include:

• cyberbullying
• sexting
• misusing people’s passwords and impersonating people online
• making unauthorised purchases using other people’s financial details
• creating content that reveals information about other people
• having trouble regulating online time, which can develop into problem internet use.

Read the rest of this report at this link: https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/entertainment-technology/cyberbullying-online-safety/internet-safety-teens

The post Internet safety: teenagers appeared first on Bob The Helper PC Doctor.

These questions can help you check whether your child is using screens in a balanced and healthy way.

Is your child:

• sleeping enough?
• physically healthy?
• engaged with school?
• connecting socially with family and friends, online and offline?
• enjoying a variety of hobbies and interests?
• having fun and learning while using screens?
• using quality content?

If you answer yes to most or all of these questions, your child is probably using screens in a balanced way as part of a healthy lifestyle.

If you answered No to most or all these questions continue to read the rest of this report at this link: https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/play-learning/screen-time-media/screen-time

The post Screen Time for Kids and Digital Technology appeared first on Bob The Helper PC Doctor.