Staying Safe Online
Smartphone Safety for Kids
According to Ofcom, 69% of under-18s use a smartphone as their main method of going online. Additionally, 49% of children use them for online gaming – putting smartphones only behind consoles (59%) as the device of choice for playing games on. Most people won’t require such statistical evidence, however, to acknowledge the huge importance of phones to young people.
Given that Santa’s recent visit is likely to have bestowed smartphones on an even greater number of young people, it’s a particularly opportune moment to ensure that children are able to use their handsets responsibly – and, above all, safely. From passcodes to parental controls, and from screen time to scams, our #WakeUpWednesday guide has the essential advice.
*National Online Safety
Huggy Wuggy
Children are talking about a character they are watching on YouTube called 'Huggy Wuggy'. The creature has long arms, legs and rows of sharp teeth.
Although the name seems harmless it is a video which talks about death and whispers horrible things in your ear when giving hugs. They also sing songs, some of the lyrics are "I could hug you here forever, till you breathe your last breath together." and "My teeth sharp and ready, in my grasp yeah they're deadly."
Due to its name 'Huggy Wuggy' is able to get through blocks at home and YouTube's own filtering system.
Please make sure that you are aware of what the children are watching, that you challenge any behaviours and discuss if the name arises.
Apple Guided Access
The majority of parents and carers with an iPhone or iPad happily let their children borrow the device for some easy entertainment. Most digital devices, however, contain apps that adults would probably prefer that children weren’t let loose on. A few accidental presses in the Amazon app, for instance – or in iTunes or the App Store – could add up to a costly shopping disaster.
Those worries can be avoided, though, by setting up Apple’s handy Guided Access feature. It effectively keeps the phone or tablet locked on one app – so if you say ‘yes’ to a quick game of Angry Birds, for example, then that is all a child will be able to do on your device.
Find a guide below from our friends at National Online Safety
Today more and more of our children are using gadgets such as mobile phones, iPads, tablets etc to access online material like YouTube and online games. Even using the Xbox or PlayStation to play online can make problems arise. Online bullying or ‘cyber-bullying’ can happen on all platforms and can seriously damage our children’s mental health and self-esteem.
This is page will be updated regularly with information for you as parents and guardians and how we can overcome the problems we face.
Online Safety Information
There is some fantastic information out there on keeping your children safe on different platforms, on this page we try and encompass all that into some easy reading and to the point facts.
The people over at National Online Safety create weekly posters targeting the things we want to know most. Find some of them below
WhatsApp is a fantastic tool for keeping in touch and sharing images with each other, unfortunately the very nature of the product is also what causes issues. We have faced a number of issues with WhatsApp and unkind messages being sent to other children.
We have to remember as parents we entrust the children with the responsibility to use these platforms if we deem appropriate, but these still have to be monitored. WhatsApp is age rated 16+.
See the information leaflet below to enable you to make an informed decision about the dangers of WhatsApp.
Little Reminders - Be Kind Online
View the PDF below on some reminders and topics of conversation to have with your child about being kind online. Being kind online can create a much nicer place to game, socialise and make friends!
Gambling and Online Gaming
Although it may seem odd to link online gaming to gambling, games now require you to use real money to advance and get the latest ‘mods’ or ‘skins’ and research has shown there is a link between online gaming and gambling. Have a look at the image below for some hints and tips to help out at home.
Here is some fantastic information for staying safe on Facebook. Always remember to check your privacy settings, don't overshare and remember that Facebook is age rated at 13+
MOMO - What should we know?
We would like to take this opportunity to make you aware of the link to some really good guidance in relation to keeping our children safe on line when using social media, internet etc.
www.childnet.com/ufiles/Supporting-Young-People-Online.pdf
Recently there have been a number of concerns in relation to children’s safety whilst on line in particular an app called Momo. Tameside Safeguarding have advised that the information on the reverse of this letter is shared with parents as soon as possible. There is also some good advice on Momo which can be found on https://parentzone.org.uk/article/three-minute-briefing-momo-challenge.
In school we do a lot of work with your children about keeping themselves safe whilst on line and we hope by providing the attached information you will feel confident to talk to your children about their on line activity and to support them in keeping safe.
Find below the poster with some fantastic information and ways to keeping your children safe against this.
Staying safe on Fortnite - Information for parents
What is Fortnite?
Fortnite is a survival game where 100 players fight against each other in player versus player combat to be the last one standing. It is a fast-paced, action-packed game, not unlike The Hunger Games, where strategic thinking is a must in order to survive. There are an estimated 125 million players on Fortnite.
A big thanks to National Online Safety for the above tips, video and advice www.nationalonlinesafety.com
Musical.ly has a new name - TikTok (Safer Internet Centre)
The social network app Musical.ly has often given adults cause for concern, because of the way that children use it to generate and share their own short videos and lip sync to popular audio clips. The app has a new name and new features, and now includes live streaming. Although the app has an age-limit of 13 years old, in practice there will be younger children using it, and the content may not be suitable.
Profiles on TikTok are automatically set to public, so that any content you post can be seen by anyone within the app. There is also a Restricted Mode which can help to filter out inappropriate content and prevent the user from being able to start their own live streams.
You can find out more here: https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/blog/what-tiktok-looking-latest-lip-syncing-app
Staying safe on Roblox - Information for parents
What is Roblox?
Roblox is an online game creator system where the majority of the content is created by “amateur” game creators. These game makers are able to create and publish games to the community using simple tools. And that means they can try ideas that wouldn’t get funded for a commercial release.
These games can then be played by children worldwide, often online together, through a phone or tablet application or a web browser.
Games like Prison Escape, Work in a Pizza Place, Shark Attack or Disaster Survival offer a playful way to experience adult-like scenarios in quick competitive rounds played socially.
Roblox games reflect the sort of imaginative play you often find in the playground. One child has an idea about a game to play, others join him or her and the rules slowly change as the group decides how to have fun together. Roblox creators can quickly update and adjust their games to match the demands of the huge playing community.
This ever-changing and expanding library of games is a big part of Roblox popularity. Combine this with the millions of other players to compete against in challenges and you have the perfect recipe for youngsters to enjoy.
There are dangers to be aware of though and those will be covered in the PDF below.