Internet Filtering And Social Media

For parents and teachers, management of children’s online activity can feel overwhelming. Our students experience ‘digitalised childhoods’ where they are immersed in screens and devices. On one hand the technical skills and expertise of our digital natives is outstanding. But on the other hand many children meet digital milestones before they meet developmental, gross and fine motor milestones. Two areas that parents and teachers often feel ill-equipped are internet filtering and social media. Therefore this post gives a brief introduction to both with some tips and ideas for management for children.

Internet Filtering

Firstly, it’s important to acknowledge that no web filter is completely safe. So it is really important to have best practice for use and storage of technology. At school I recommend students always have iPads flat on their desks and do not sit with their back to the wall. This allows the teacher to easily scan student devices. When students are engaged on iPads or laptops, it is tempting for teachers to sit at their desk and mark work. But it is incredibly important to be moving around the classroom observing and engaging with student learning.

For parents I recommend that all devices are used and stored in shared living room spaces. I suggest that children do not charge their devices in their room overnight. Below are three suggestions for web filters that could be used at home:

• Family Zone is helpful for preventing children to access inappropriate material. It also allows parents to set screen-time limits, restrict social media and limit gaming. It also facilitates reports and alerts as well as unfiltered network for parents.
• Net Nanny is another widely used tool that also has parental controls, 18 filtering categories and blocks pornography. It also has time limits and social media monitoring.
• Covenant Eyes promotes internet accountability by monitoring the websites used and generating a report that can be used to start a discussion about healthy online habits. So it allows parents to track what their children do. The purpose isn’t to block, it’s designed to start a conversation in order to educate. Therefore this tool is helpful for when the children are older.

I also encourage parents to set up safe searching when using Google through using  Google Safe Search for Kids, GoGooligans, KidzSearch, KidsClick, KidRex and Swiggle.

Social Media

Social media is so prevalent in today’s society. Increasingly it is the platform for communication, advertising, leisure and education. The best way to define social media is to break it into two terms. Media is a form of communication for example television, newspaper or radio. Therefore social media is a social instrument of communication. Social media not only provides information but also invites the user to contribute and interact.  There are many different types of social media websites, some of which are described below:

• Social Networking: Adding friends, having discussions, joining groups, for example Facebook and Twitter.
• Social Messaging: Discussing and commenting with friends online, for example KIK.
• Social Photo and Video Sharing: Posting and commenting on photos and videos, for example Instagram.
• Social Bookmarking: Tagging websites and searching websites bookmarked by others, for example Pinboard.
• Social News: Reading, commenting and voting on articles, for example Digg and Reddit.
• Wikis: Adding and editing articles, for example Wikipedia.

All social media have recommended age restrictions. This is for the protection and privacy of users. It is very important that students, teachers and parents acknowledge that recommended age restrictions are important. Some of these are listed below:

• Twitter: ‘Our services are not directed to children, and you may not use our services if you are under the age of 13.’
• Instagram: ‘You must be at least 13 years old or the minimum legal age in your country to use Instagram.’
• Facebook: ‘We try to make Facebook broadly available to everyone, but you cannot use Facebook if you are under 13 years old.’
• KIK: ‘You must be at least 13 years old to use any Site or Product, and if you are 13-18 years old, you may only use a Site or Product if your parent or guardian consents to this Agreement on your behalf.’
• Snapchat: ‘No one under 13 is allowed to create an account or use the Services.’

It is vital for parents and teachers to have open conversations with their children about their interactions online. Many parents allow their children to sign up to social media accounts despite being under the recommended age. If families do allow children to access social media, it is critical that there are clear boundaries and discussions about the digital footprint they are creating. Children need to know that their online posts are a permanent record and will follow them into the future. It can be helpful for parents to follow their children’s social media accounts so they are aware of what they are posting.

For more tips and ideas about managing technology with children see:

• 5 Tips To Manage Social Media For Children
• 10 Recommendations For Digital Kids
• iPad Golden Rules