On Friday we will all wear something red as we remember Daniel Morcombe but it will also be a time, with Halloween coming up and the events that surround this practice, that it is important to be careful of our safety especially when we are placed in unfamiliar surroundings and situations.
For our Primary students, the Day for Daniel is another opportunity for us to revisit conversations around general personal safety. There are numerous resources available on the Daniel Morcombe website that are useful for parents as you discuss situations around personal safety, some of which include topics like what to do if you get lost in the shopping centre, recognising body clues that alert you to the fact that a situation is unsafe, creating a safety network plan and simple hand signals to indicate to others that you may be in an unsafe situation. There are also many resources covering online safety.
As online safety is a very present concern in our society, I am, once again, bringing to your attention that there are laws and age restrictions associated with the set-up of social media platforms for children. While the general current age restrictions to register or sign up for most of these accounts is 13 years of age, what is concerning is the number of children under the age of 13 who currently have TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram accounts and YouTube channels, just to name a few.
Are they old enough?
The eSafety Commissioner (eSafety) is Australia’s independent regulator for online safety. The eSafety Guide provides information on the latest games, apps and social media platforms, with age restrictions, including how to protect your information and report harmful content.
Current age restrictions apply to:
TikTok 13+minimum age according to TikTok Link
Snapchat 13+ minimum age according to Snapchat Link
Instagram 13+minimum age according to Instagram Link
Fortnite 13+minimum age according to Fortnite Link YouTube 13+minimum age according to YouTube Link
For a more extensive overview of current platforms, apps and gaming sites with age restrictions and key safety links, click here.
Now that smartphones and tablets have become a standard part of family life and social media is increasingly catering to younger children, we are navigating the uncharted waters of a whole new, and much more personal, kind of media consumption together with added peer pressure to be actively involved on social media.
We know that social media use has its advantages and especially in recent times when we all had to find creative ways to stay connected. However, we all have a responsibility to protect our children from the potential risks.
Gail Mitchell Head of Primary