Social media and safety

Nowadays, social media is a part of our daily lives and kids are spending more and more time online. Whilst, social media can provide many benefits for kids, such as keeping in contact with friends and family, opportunities to explore different ideas, learn with others and develop digital media literacy, it can also expose our children to risks. 

By staying informed and educating ourselves and our children about how to stay safe online and the steps to take if things get unsafe, we can support our children to keep their time online safe.

Parentline provides us with a list of guidelines to help our kids stay safe online:

• Encourage them not to share passwords with friends
• Change privacy settings to make sure their information is private and limit who can connect with them
• Encourage them to connect only with people they know offline
• Set a good example - role model safe, healthy and positive online behaviours
• Use strong passwords and update them regularly
• Asking a trusted adult before posting any personal information online, including for competition entries
• Be involved and stay involved – take an interest in the sites they are visiting and get to know them
• Teach them about the consequences of sharing something online
• Keep identifying information to a minimum - eg. do not reveal their location
• Contact the Police immediately if you become aware of grooming on social media
• Be aware of what your child is doing online and who they talk to
• Monitor your child’s time online - keep computers or devices in shared areas
• Encourage them to talk with a trusted adult about online issues
• Use filters or parental controls to manage content your child has access to
• Educate and empower – help your child develop strategies to deal with issues (eg. reporting to an adult) 

Your child might ask you to sign them up to a popular game or online social media site.  If this occurs, it’s important to check the minimum age requirements and to continue supervising your child’s use.  Parentline and Common Sense Media provide us with some useful information on the age requirements for different online platforms:

• ​​​​​​ ​​​Multi-player online games –
• Moshi Monsters, Club Penguin, World of Warcraft, Minecraft (ages ranging from 5-12+)
• Media sharing -  YouTube, Tik Tok (ages 13+, and/or requiring parent permission)
• Social media networks – Facebook, Instagram, Discord (ages 13+)
• Microblogging - Twitter, Tumblr (ages 13+)
• Video conferencing -  Skype, FaceTime (18+ or adult permission)

Importantly, if you do see unsafe content or behaviours online, report it:

• The Office of the eSafety Commissioner
• Crime Stoppers:Make a report online or call 1800 333 000
• Police:Contact your local police station

For more information visit:

Social Media and Safety | Parentline

Being safe on the internet | Kids Helpline

Online safety | eSafety Commissioner

Common Sense Media: Age-Based Media Reviews for Families | Common Sense Media