Cyber-Safety Skills Urged for Kids Entering Digital Schoolyard

Cyber-Safety Skills Urged for Kids Entering Digital Schoolyard

Australian parents have spent up big equipping their kids with the latest gadgets ahead of the new school year but many have failed to equip them with cyber-skills new Telstra research has revealed.

More than a third of Australian parents surveyed will send a child to school this year with both a laptop computer and a mobile phone.

The research, however, revealed that parents with children aged 10 to 17 haven't set aside time to talk to their kids about cyber-safety issues such as protecting their privacy and managing approaches from cyber-bullies.

The Telstra research found:
Parents have spent up big on school tech. Almost four in ten (38 per cent) say they recently purchased a laptop for their child's schooling and almost one in four (24 per cent) say they have purchased their child a mobile phone.
Mobiles and laptops top the list of school-bound gadgets. Seven in ten Aussie parents (74%) say their child will take a mobile phone to school this year. Half (54%) of parents say their child will take a laptop to school this year
New tech not being accompanied by new skills. Almost one in five parents admitted that they haven't spoken to their kids recently about how to protect themselves from approaches from cyber strangers, while a third say they haven't spoken to their kids recently about how to respond to cyber-bullies.
Mobile safety essentials often forgotten. One quarter of the parents haven't spoken to their kids recently about who they should share their mobile number with and almost four in ten (38%) haven't discussed how to keep access to their phone secure through the use of PIN and password.

"In this digital age, internet connected devices such as laptops, mobile phones and mobile tablets can be just as important to learning as paper, pens and text books," said Darren Kane, Telstra's Officer of Internet Trust and Safety.

"They are a great way for kids to access online resources like news archives, virtual libraries, dictionaries and videos.

"But like any device connecting to the internet, mobiles and laptops present children with risks they don't necessarily understand. Our research shows that while parents are equipping their kids with technology to assist their studies, some are forgetting to equip them with the skills required to use these tools safely - an essential part of a positive online experience."

Telstra's research also revealed:
Aussie mobile ownership can start young. The majority of parents (73%) believe kids should be able to access their own mobile when they become a teen or enter high school - while one in five parents think kids should be able to access their own mobile phone in primary school.
Early access to laptops seen as crucial. Two thirds of parents (65%) think their kids should be able to access a laptop as young as possible or at primary school.
Parents are concerned by cyber safety risks. Parents main concerns include: unsolicited contact from strangers (with 84% of parents surveyed saying this concerns them); the publication of their child's private content like photos or address details online (69%); cyber-bullying (66%); internet scams (64%) and identity theft (with 63% of parents saying it is a concern).
Parents often relaxed about monitoring kids' internet time. Only 33% of parents closely monitor their kid's use of the internet, with 43% saying they 'keep an eye on it' and a further 22% saying they 'tend to be relaxed' and trust their child.

"Teaching kids when it's appropriate to share personal information, explaining what to do if approached by a cyber bully or online stranger and how to apply social network privacy settings should be part of every parent's back to school checklist," Mr Kane said.

Telstra's online safety tips:
1. Protect yourself by keeping private information such as your birthday, school, home address or phone number private.
2. If you get harassed by a cyber-bully speak to a trusted adult so they can help. Try not to respond to a bully and block them so you can't receive their emails, instant messages or texts.
3. When using social media sites, don't become 'friends' with people you don't know in the real world and make sure you use the privacy settings to manage your privacy and the content you share.
4. Only publish information you are comfortable with everyone seeing - once it's online it's always online.
5. Never respond to unsolicited emails from people or organisations you don't know requesting you to update personal details. Even if the email has an official logo contact the organisation to confirm that it is legitimate before responding.
6. Only connect to Wi-Fi hotspots that protect your personal data like bank account details, PIN numbers, or passwords. Make sure the hotspot is provided by an organisation that you trust (like your school) and that the connection is password-protected.

Mobile safety tips:
1. Be careful who you provide with your mobile phone number and respect your friends' privacy by not giving away their details.
2. Ensure your mobile phone is PIN locked. If you use a smartphone, also set up a password to protect your email and social networking accounts when your phone is switched on.
3. Notify your mobile service provider if your phone is lost or stolen.
4. Think before you send. The person who you send text, picture or video to may not be the only one who will see them.

You can find more information to help people of all ages have a positive online experience on Telstra's Internet and Cyber-Safety page: www.telstra.com.au/cyber-safety

This research was conducted online by Pure Profile on behalf of Telstra in January 2011 on a representative sample of 1,203 Australian parents with children aged 10-17, from across Australia in both metropolitan and regional areas.