DESPITE the impending social media ban for under 16s, it is still as important as ever for parents to understand how to help their youngsters use the internet safely, securely and with confidence this summer – especially when they are at home during the school holidays. Just because children and young people grow up surrounded by technology, it doesn’t mean they always know how to stay safe from the various harms they could come across when using the internet.
That’s why this July, North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Andy Dunbobbin, North Wales Police, and Get Safe Online have teamed up to provide online safety tips for parents and guardians. Get Safe Online is a service commissioned by the Office of the PCC and the local Police Force to share helpful information and advice with the people of North Wales.
Support and guidance can make a substantial difference, so following these top tips to help kids explore the digital world with safety and confidence is really important.
- Keep learning together by asking your child to show you the games they play, the apps they use and the videos they enjoy. Talk about what’s fun, what’s worrying, and how to handle tricky situations like oversharing, bullying, unwanted contact or viewing inappropriate content.
- Encourage age-appropriate apps and platforms like YouTube Kids. Check in regularly on what your child is watching, posting and sharing.
- Online experiences can affect mood, confidence and self-esteem. Help your child recognise how social media and messaging can influence how they feel.
- Age limits are designed to protect children. Explain to your child why certain apps, games or sites aren’t suitable for them yet.
- Turn on parental controls, privacy settings, safe search and family filters. Your internet provider may offer extra protection options.
- Gaming can be creative and sociable and even aid your child’s development, but it can also expose children to strangers, pressure to spend money or risky behaviour. Discuss with your kids how to play safely from an early age.
- Help your child to spot misinformation, disinformation, fake news and fraud, especially now that AI helps to generate such convincing content. Encourage your child to pause and think before sharing anything.
- Once something is posted online, it’s hard to remove. Talk with your child about what’s appropriate to share as well as how to protect their own and others’ privacy and safety.
- When downloading apps, use only official app stores. Where possible, set up accounts using your own email address.
- Look out for changes in behaviour or signs that something isn’t right, but try not to be intrusive. Sadly, some young people are targeted by scams, grooming or criminal activity, so your awareness of these issues matters.
- Make sure your child knows they won’t be in trouble for coming to you if something feels wrong. Reassurance builds trust and trust keeps them safer.
- Celebrate the positives: the internet is full of creativity, learning and connection. Recognising the good helps children feel supported, not monitored.
North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, Andy Dunbobbin commented: “Keeping our children safe doesn’t stop at the school gates, the front door, or when term time ends. It extends into the digital world they navigate every day.
“While technology offers incredible opportunities to learn, connect and grow, it also brings risks that young people cannot always manage alone.
“That’s why it is so important that parents and guardians feel confident to guide, support and have open conversations with their children about life online.
“Both supporting children and young people and staying safe online are important parts of my Plan for fighting crime in North Wales and, by working together and making use of trusted advice, we can help ensure the younger generation across North Wales are able to explore the internet safely, securely and with confidence.”
Dewi Owen from North Wales Police’s Cyber Crime Team added: “The digital world doesn’t pause for the summer holidays, and neither do the online risks or the Cyber criminals. Protecting children online is a collaborative effort.
“As technology evolves, so do the methods used by those who wish to cause harm. We strongly urge parents to follow these tips and have honest conversations with their children about online safety.
“Further online safety topics that could be discussed with youngsters include:
- Many popular apps now feature built-in AI chatbots designed to converse like a real buddy. Remind youngsters that these bots are in fact sophisticated computer programs, not real people. They should never share private information with them or rely on any information that they receive from the chatbots without verifying the information’s validity.
- Many apps have live, built-in maps that show exactly where a user is in real-time. Go into the app settings together and turn off location sharing (often called ‘Ghost Mode’) so that strangers or even casual acquaintances cannot track their day-to-day movements.
- Features like disappearing messages or private chat modes can give a false sense of privacy. Remind youngsters that anyone can easily take a screenshot or copy what they’ve sent and share it elsewhere.
- Make sure that youngsters practically know how to block an account and report harmful behaviour or content directly inside the game or app they are using. Knowing that they have the ability to instantly cut off a bad interaction is incredibly empowering.
- Help youngsters to shape their algorithm. Teach them to use “Not Interested” buttons, clear their search histories, or reset their feeds if they notice that they are being shown negative or upsetting content.
- Make sure that youngsters have a list of trusted adults that they know they can speak to if they’re unsure about anything relating to online safety or if anything goes wrong online.”
For more up-to-date online safety advice visit Get Safe Online.
