Thursday 21st January 2021
Dear Parent/Carer,
You may be finding that you and your family are spending a lot more time on the Internet at the moment. We just wanted you to give some thought to staying safe online, so to help you, please see the following advice.
We live in a world full of Apps! While some are harmless, others pose threats that we may not even be aware about. Popular apps can make our children easy targets or may even expose them to explicit, unfiltered content.
The list below is not all of the apps that are on social media, so it’s important to do your research and ask questions!! How many of the below do you know of?
- Social networking apps like Instagram, Snapchat, Tiktok, Whatsapp
- Anonymous Messaging Apps like Whisper, Yolo
- Virtual reality role-play apps like Among Us, Holo, Fortnite.
- Apps which hide the browser history like DuckDuckGo and Calculator
You may already be having conversations with your child/ren about what sites they might be accessing online. However, if you are thinking about how to approach the topic, here are some suggestions:
- Sit down with your children and talk to them about anything you have concerns about explaining to them why it concerns you.
- Be honest and straightforward with your children. Talk to them about the consequences of inappropriate use of technology. Set boundaries and rules with them.
- Let your children know that you want what’s best for them; let them know why you are monitoring their devices.
- Have conversations with your children about what kinds of apps they have on their devices.
You may want to get some more information about staying safe online – check out these websites:
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/
If you would like any further help and advice, please do not hesitate to contact me at the school.
Yours Sincerely
Ms Marie
Pastoral Care Coordinator
