Alex Merton McCann Tweens Taking to Technology Like Teens

Alex Merton McCann Tweens Taking to Technology Like Teens

Children as young as eight (tweens) are adopting technology faster than expected, particularly social networking, with 167 per cent revealing they are currently using a social media site. They are also more advanced in their device usage with between three and four internet enabled devices being used by tweens at any one time.

Of those tweens using devices, two-thirds are on mobiles and tablets for approximately 1.5 hours per day and 42 per cent are using this time to chat with friends. Yet despite the age eligibility for Facebook being 13 years old, 1 in 4 tweens admit to currently using Facebook.

Released at a roundtable discussion with Senator The Hon. Stephen Conroy Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy as part of National Cyber Security Awareness Week, the report titled Tweens, Teens and Technology Report is an extension of the McAfee Secret Life of Teens report last year and was commissioned to identify the online behaviour gaps between tweens, teens and parents in the digital world.

So while it's a message for parents to take note, perhaps one of the most surprising findings is that it's the parents who are giving permission for their child to be on social media. 92 per cent of tweens said that they are friends with their parents on Facebook and a further 95 per cent said they had their parents' permission to be on there.

Commenting on the report Andrew Littleproud, President, McAfee Asia Pacific said, 'The findings are a welcome spotlight on tweens. With the national rollout of the NBN and the increase use of devices by our younger audience in the homes, both parents and schools are encouraged to keep a close monitor on their child's online behaviour to ensure they have safe online experiences.

'By working closely with child psychologists, we have seen that online behaviours become entrenched in the tween age group so proactive education is critical within 8-12 age bracket," Mr Littleproud continued.


Tween Usage Trends
Skype is the most popular social website for tweens, with 28 per cent using the site
Club Penguin is also a prominent site with 22 per cent of tweens on there
Instagram is also now on the radar of tweens with 10 per cent using it for social media and to publish images
Despite the age eligibility for Facebook (13 years old), 1 in 4 (26%) of tweens are currently using Facebook


Stranger Danger and Risky Online Behaviour
Worryingly, risky online behaviour is starting young:
1 in 5 tweens said they chatted to someone online that they didn't know
2 in 5 (39%) of tweens are currently using a risky password
Whilst only 7 per cent of tweens are sharing personal information online
21 per cent of tween Instagram users do not know all of the people they are friends with and sharing their personal photo's with

Cyber Bullying
For an eight year old child, cyber bullying is already becoming an issue with 25 per cent saying they have witnessed nasty comments online directed at them or their friend and interestingly, as a tween gets older and into their teen age years (11-12 years old), 38 per cent said they had been exposed to cyber bullying.

However, in a positive direction, both younger and older tweens will tell their parents if they have been exposed to risky behaviour with 71 per cent of tweens saying they told their parents.


From Tween to Teen
In a direct comparison to both pieces of research, the age for accessing social networking sites is lowering as teens said their first encounter with social media was not actually until the age of 13
Cyber bullying becomes an even bigger issue once a tween enters their teenage years with half of all teens (53 per cent) being exposed to cyber bullying
Although tweens are good at keeping parents informed, this generally dries up in teenage years with only 38 per cent of teens saying they told their parents
6 per cent of teens have gone one step further than their tween counterparts by actually meeting up with a stranger who they met online

'Both reports we have conducted have given us such a rich window into the daily digital life of a tween and teen. We can now make direct comparisons of both audiences and focus on the big watch-outs we have uncovered," Mr Littleproud said.

Leading parenting expert with a PHD in psychology, Dr. Justin Coulson, said the findings are surprising and encouraging at the same time, 'Both research and experience are confirming that the personal impact that online pressures can have on these age groups from an emotional and developmental perspective is enormous. 'While it's surprising to see just how integrated tweens are with the online social world, it's encouraging to see that their parents are involved both online and offline. I am hopeful that these findings will highlight the need for both parents and educators to start having positive conversations with their children," Dr. Coulson concluded. McAfee cybermum and mum of four boys in both tween and teen age group, Alex Merton-McCann echoed Dr. Coulson's comments and said it's a good time for parents to embrace the online world.

'I know the online world can be scary for parents, trust me I've been there but having genuine two‐way communication with your children is absolutely fundamental to establishing a safe and positive cyber experience," Alex concluded.

Closing commentary on the report, Mr Littleproud said, 'Parents, educators and government, we all need to work together to deliver positive education and experiences that can help shape the online future of our young children.

'So McAfee is working hand‐in-hand with government, police, educators and parents to address cyber education and as part of this on-going commitment, we have partnered with Life Education to launch a new module called bCyberwise which is aimed at educating children in schools across Australia, ' Mr Littleproud continued.

Since launching in February this year, the cyber education program has been incredibly well received in schools across the nation with over 21,000 students being educated on cyber safety during the first term.

The new bCyberwise module expands the Life Education Program that currently reaches over 620,000 primary school children across Australia.

For more information, please visit www.mcafeecybered.com and www.lifeeducation.org.au

Interview with Alex Merton McCann, McAfee Cybermum

Question: How do you know when your child is ready for social networking?

Alex Merton McCann: It is really tricky, actually. If you look at the eligibility ages on Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat and alike, 13 years old is the magic number. In an ideal world we'd make sure our children were 13 years old before they jumped into social networking however it's an individual choice. Parents need to make an assessment about the maturity of their children and in my case, I have four boys (two tweens and two teens) and my teenage boys were on Facebook before the age of 13 but that was before I had this job and knew about the risks and challenges. I will fight to keep my two younger boys off Facebook until the age of 13 because of the risks involved and the older you are the better you are able to deal with the risks. Having said that it is an individual choice and parents need to make the call.

What some parents will do is suggest to their 12 year old who may have been hassling them, for months, is that they setup the account, together and they both know the password, like a joint account which means the kid can use it but totally under the supervision of their parent.

The research showed that one in four of the tweens (8-12 year olds) are already on social networking sites but that's with 95% of parents having agreed to the setup and deciding to help navigate their child through the experience.


Question: Why do certain sites have age-restrictions and limits and is it important that parents and children abide to these?

Alex Merton McCann: I'm a full believer in the age restrictions as they're there to protect the child because at the end of the day when we're are on social network sites we are sharing and quite often children are unaware of the consequences of sharing pictures, home addresses and the details of their schools which is why it is easy for their privacy to be compromised and in the worst case, their identity to be stolen.


Question: What are the benefits of allowing your child to social network?

Alex Merton McCann: I think social networking is the way of the future and to deprive your child is also doing them a big disturbance because children need to know how the world works and social media is not such a big part of the way our world works. You need to embrace it whilst working with your child to understand the risks. In my job I educate parents to help their kids to stay safe online because I think putting your head in the sand is the wrong approach. We have to work with it to educate children.

I think parents should be talking about online safety like they talk about sun safety.


Question: How can we educate our tweens and teens to use social media?

Alex Merton McCann: We need to start talking about online safety, really, really early. In the tween category there are fantastic social networking sites that they can use that are appropriate such as Club Penguin and Moshi Monsters. To have your child on one of those sites, from a young age is not a bad thing.

Secondly I would honestly start weaving in online safety tips such as:
Make sure you don't share any private information online
Only friend people who you really know because anyone can be anyone online
Don't share your password.

Focus on the above three and weave them into all your messages including when your child is on the laptop at the dining room table, whilst you are making dinner. Say things like 'remember don't do this" and 'I'm sure you haven't shared your password, with anyone, because you wouldn't do that!" Keep it humourous and light but keep the message the same so by the time they're older and fully engaged in social media those messages are automatic, for them.


Question: What are your thoughts on the program Kik?

Alex Merton McCann: A lot of tweens are using Kik, the disadvantages occur because you can follow anyone on Kik and sometimes things can be said on Kik that are not ideal. The problems we see are children not being nice in regards to cruel behaviour and bullying online however that can happen on any social media site or app.

Some tweens will friend and start conversations with strangers. Our research showed that '1 in 5 tweens said they chatted to someone online that they didn't know" and Kik is the type of app that allows them to do this. It is important parents manage Kik to ensure the contact list only contains people the child knows. The online safety message is important to ensure children do not add people they do not know to apps like Kik. Kik doesn't have to be a negative experience however parents need to be aware of the risks.


Question: What set up and restrictions would you recommend?

Alex Merton McCann: I believe education is key and that children need to understand the risk before they go online and ensure that they notify someone if they see something online that they don't like. Remind your child that if they do tell you about online incidents that they won't get into trouble or have the site banned if there is a problem. Research shows that teens will not speak to parents, if there is a problem, as they think they could get into trouble or not be allowed on the internet; teens will put up with the bad for the good. We need to adapt our parenting style to include a strong relationship regarding online safety and education.

When it comes to the time that they begin using social media then you need to have time limits involved, it can be tricky however because many teens use their laptops for homework as well as social media. You can set parental consults that limit sites during certain times which can be a godsend for parents. Parents can also adapt the rule that no social media access is allowed until homework is finished but they need to realise these sites can be accessed from mobile phones as well. Working with your child to create a suitable outcome is always the best way for a harmonious online relationship.

My tweens are online for approximately 45 minutes to an hour, each day whilst my teenagers are online for approximately an hour and a half. Timing has to be realistic as the research shows that children are spending excessive hours online with our teens are spending 3.6 hours online a day whilst tweens are spending 1.5 hours.


Question: What social networking sites do you suggest for tweens prior to Facebook and Instagram?

Alex Merton McCann: I really love Club Penguin, it's fantastic because it has role playing and a parent can limit how their child interacts with boundaries and limit the number of logins. You also need permission from your parents to play Club Penguin and the site very readily bans players for bad conduct and I know of children who have been given a time out from Club Penguin for bad behaviour. Club Penguin is a really good way of helping put the child's toe in the water as you can make friends and begin the social networking process. Club Penguin is aimed at 8-14 year olds.

The other site that is slightly more mature is Poptropica which is an online role-playing game where kids can play games and communicate with each other. My youngest enjoys Poptropica because you can win medals and it's quite adventurous. Poptropica is marketed to up to 15 year olds.

In regards to a site that's not a game, Kik is the messenger app however adults can use Kik as well whereas Club Penguin and Poptropica are specifically for tweens. Kik isn't a problem if all the users are schooled up and know how to behave correctly online.


Question: What are the signs to alert parents that their child is being cyber bullied?

Alex Merton McCann: When it comes to social media your child's mood and their level of enthusiasm for life is a good barometer for how things are going online. Parents need to constantly monitor their child's mood, generally.

The main signs that will alert parents that their child is being cyber bullied include:
A change in mood: really down, teary or worried.
Lowering of school marks and performance that is out of the blue or not wanting to go to school or sport activities for the fear of seeing someone who might be giving them grief.
Being secretive or jumpy and not wanting to put their phone down or being over connected to their devices than usual
Stomach aches, headaches and not feeling well.


Question: What are the pitfalls parents and children should be aware of?

Alex Merton McCann: There are lots of risk, I don't like psyching people out however I believe people need to be aware of the risks too. Cyber bullying is number one risk whilst privacy is also a huge issue and it's important to educate the consequences of sharing private information, online. There are a number of risks if children begin on social networking sites before they're mature enough including sharing inappropriate information.

Online scams are a big risk too especially because it's difficult to tell an 8 year old that they haven't in fact won a iPad when they see the -special' flashing screen, it's difficult to explain online scams to children however it is important to be aware and educate early.

Addiction in an extreme form is a concern, we have kids who are so heavily connected to their devices and they develop a fear of missing out and there is a major connect between their self-worth and the likes on their latest photograph or friend counts. Addiction is extreme, but it is a huge concern.

The digital footprint can be a risk as what you do online becomes a part of your online profile and reputation because your actions and behaviours will be there forever. Down the track you may be able to delete it, which is good, but if someone needed to they may find something in the future from your past. Everyone needs to be conscious about what they are leaving behind with their digital footprint.


Question: If a risk or issue arises how does a parent take the steps to approach and rectify the situation?

Alex Merton McCann: In regards to cyber bullying I suggest collecting evidence using -print screen' and printing out emails or conversations and combine the evidence even though you may not need to use it. Then, I suggest reporting it, which is really important.

If you think it's a school contact I'd approach the school and if it continues and you think it may not be a school contact you can change your child's email address and any of their social networking accounts that are affected.

Ensure your child is not responding to the bully and if you can, block the contact.

In the worst situations you can go to the police and we've heard recently familes are employing private detectives as they have not found closure through the school or the police; however that is in its extreme form.


Question: What is the bCyberwise program?

Alex Merton McCann: Many parents will see these stats and their hearts will start to pound however McAfee are working with Life Education on the bCyberwise program. From a parents point of view it is reassuring to know there is cyber-education out there with the bCyberwise program which has already educated 22,000 kids, in four months, who learn about staying safe online from creating safe passwords to online reputation and online stranger danger. Any Australian school can access the two bCyberwise programs which are for grades 3 and 4 and the other for grades 5 and 6. We know that educating kids, at a young age, will help with trickier online situations that teenagers may encounter.


Interview by Brooke Hunter