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.
Whether your family chooses a tech-free Christmas, or there may be new devices under your tree, we wish you all a very happy, and safe, Christmas.
12 Top Tips for Children and Young People to Enjoy a Tech-Free Christmas
With Christmas right around the corner, millions of families are excitedly anticipating the chance to spend some quality time with each other over the festive season. When everyone’s engrossed in their phones or glued to their games consoles, however, genuinely meaningful moments with loved ones can often be difficult to orchestrate.
Our Christmas #WakeUpWednesday guide will lend a hand: providing some advice on helping young people to set aside their devices for a while and live in the moment. Even if going full tech cold turkey feels unrealistic, implementing just a few of these tips could still decrease the amount of screen time in your home this festive season – enabling everyone to make the most of it.
Top Tips for Setting up Parental Controls on New Devices
At this time of year, it’s highly possible that you have a new phone, games console or other digital device stashed somewhere at home, ready to be unwrapped. Many parents also prefer to place some protective measures on those gifts – to keep their child shielded from potential #OnlineSafety risks – while others would like to, but aren’t sure where to begin.
The guide below shepherds you through the process of establishing parental controls on new internet-enabled devices, from smartphones to laptops to consoles. Simply find the device in question and read on to find out what options you have and how to enable them – letting children enjoy their shiny new gadget, without so much of the worry over where it might lead them.
What Parents and Carers Need to Know about Disney+
In 2019, media titan Disney launched its own streaming platform, intending to challenge the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime. Giving (often exclusive) access to shows and movies – such as the legendary studio’s animated classics and the revered Star Wars back catalogue – Disney+ has been a colossal success, proving popular with viewers of all ages.
Despite Disney’s reputation for wholesome, child-friendly content, however, there’s far more material available on their platform – some of which is aimed exclusively at adults. This could easily fly under the radar, given the company’s general image. This #WakeUpWednesday guide has useful tips to help your family sit back, relax and enjoy what Disney+ has to offer.
The social media network formerly known as Twitter has undergone numerous alterations since its change of ownership and rebranding as X – and many of these recent developments have proved controversial. With any user now simply able to pay a fee for account verification, for example, the once-reliable ‘blue tick’ system has become largely meaningless.
It’s just one of several changes that have set the social media giant on what many consider a concerning path in online safety terms. This #WakeUpWednesday guide provides a run-down of the most significant tweaks made to X; their potential safeguarding implications; and how to help ensure young people minimise the risks while they continue to use the service.
Top Tips for Safer Online Shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Gone are the days of Black Friday only existing in the physical environs of the high street. Now, both this retail landmark and its sister event, Cyber Monday, see deals and discounts displayed across almost every online retailer. The array of reductions makes this an ideal moment to treat a loved one (or yourself!) to those treasured items for considerably less than their usual cost.
The frantic dash for the best bargains online, however, also harbours several risks: chiefly, cybercriminals hoping to exploit people’s excitement and hoodwink them out of their hard-earned cash. This #WakeUpWednesday has some expert pointers on keeping your both your money and your personal information safe while still making the most of the spectacular sales.
Grab our new guide below!<span class="su-quote-cite">National Online Safety</span>
What Parents and Carers Need to Know about Smart TVs
Smart TVs have become more affordable in recent years, making them readily available to most consumers. These more advanced systems offer numerous features beyond those of a normal television set – chiefly, the ability to access the internet and interface with popular streaming services without the need for a set-top box or other intermediary device.
This increased functionality, however, also brings additional threats to privacy, security and more – as you’d perhaps expect from any device capable of going online. As TV is such a cornerstone of our home lives, these dangers can be uniquely difficult to manage. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide breaks down the major risks, with tips on helping children to enjoy TV … stress free.
Grab our new guide below!<span class="su-quote-cite">National Online Safety</span>
Supporting Children to Deal with Upsetting Content – A Guide for Parents and Carers
They might not be able to pinpoint its location on a map, and they might not fully grasp the historical and political drivers behind the conflict – but in this age where news, images and video can cross continents in seconds, many children are now aware of the terrible recent events in Israel. It’s a situation, of course, that could cause youngsters extreme distress and worry.
Our #WakeUpWednesday guide contains some valuable pointers for supporting children to deal with upsetting content they’ve encountered online – whether that’s the attacks in Israel, ongoing worries over the environment, or something else entirely. Our tips will assist trusted adults in helping young people to process any negative emotions that they may be feeling.
Grab our new guide below!<span class="su-quote-cite">National Online Safety</span>
What Parents and Carers Need to Know about Sharing Photos Online
In 2021, the NCA cited that 42% of parents in the UK share pictures of their children online – half of them doing so at least once a month 👶 Why would they not? Parenthood – and the magical memories we create with our children – is something to be celebrated and chronicled: in an ideal world, at least.
In reality, the topic has become increasingly complex – with respect for other people’s children who might also be in the photos and our own child’s future feelings among the considerations. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide assesses the potential pitfalls of publicly posting our pics.
Grab our new guide below!<span class="su-quote-cite">National Online Safety</span>
With the school summer holidays only a matter of days away, many parents and carers will already be planning outings and activities to keep their young ones entertained. In between those special summer moments, though, there are also likely to be occasions when children happily invest a whole afternoon in Among Us or spend most of their Monday on Minecraft.
As young people’s screen time almost inevitably increases over the holidays, parents like to feel confident that their child will stay safe while they’re exploring the digital world. So we’ve produced a #WakeUpWednesday poster with some simple solutions to help children avoid frequent online pitfalls and enjoy a more positive experience when they go online this summer.
Read on to access your free guide…<span class="su-quote-cite">National Online Safety</span>
What Parents and Carers Need to Know about AI Virtual Friends
Artificial intelligence is probably the hot topic in technology circles right now, with questions being raised worldwide about how AI might conceivably affect the very future of the human race. In the short term, however – definitely as far as its impact on young people is concerned – the clearest risk is almost certainly the AI-powered ‘virtual friends’ which are springing up all over the internet.
There’s Replika and Kuki, for instance, while Snapchat has recently got in on the act with My AI – and search engines like Bing and Google have developed their own versions. Are these machine intelligences suitable online companions for young people? What are their limitations and weak spots? Our #WakeUpWednesday guide profiles the emergence of AI ‘virtual friends’.
Read on to access your free guide…<span class="su-quote-cite">National Online Safety</span>
