Online Safety
Social media plays a significant role in a teenager’s life. Many young people will say social media is important because it helps them to connect with their friends, it’s a form of entertainment, and for many it allows for creative expression. There are, of course, some negative aspects of social media. While we might want to ban social media use to protect young people from harm online, this approach may not be the most effective. Risks are more likely to be minimised when parents, carers and teens are well informed about the media they are using, and how to think critically about the content they are engaging with.
The eSafety Commissioner have many excellent resources for families including free webinars designed to give parents and carers the knowledge, skills and tools to support their children to have safe online experiences. We highly recommend families explore at the site and consider registering for one of the upcoming webinars.
Tamara Zafiropoulos
College Psychologist